Hiding Out
by JackPotr
Summary: The years after Voldemort had not been kind to Harry as he feels he has to leave those behind that just want to use him for his fame. Harry/Morag
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Nope, Don't own it. Never have. Harry Potter that is.**

**AN: I got my idea for this story after reading The Mandatory Marriage Contract Fic by Itsme66. The author did a really good job with that story and I thought it would be fun to expand the Morag character. **

**AN: There is a lot of background info in the first few pages of this chapter. **

**Hiding Out**

Harry Potter, the boy who lived, the man who conquered, and the man who escaped sat at a street side café in the Scottish town of Aberdeen. He was watching the people moving by in the quaint shopping district and just enjoying his anonymity. He knew there was a magical shopping district close by but he wasn't too concerned over being seen. He was wearing sunglasses and an Aberdeen FC (football club) ball cap to help hide his features and of course he was out in the muggle world. He had counted on the fact that most in the wizarding world weren't too bright when it came to common sense and that very few would think about trying to locate him here. He was sipping his tea as he pondered his life and how he had ended up here.

** (Harry is thinking of the last few years.)**

Harry had come to the realization, not too long ago, that to get any peace, he would have to stay away from the wizarding world. He had always been subjected to more press and attention than anyone had a right to be and it seemed to only get worse in recent years. You see, in the year he was supposed to be attending his seventh year of school, he and two friends were out actively seeking a way to destroy one of the most feared Dark Lords in almost a century.

Harry sat thinking about how he had to leave his friends due to the constant badgering and hype surrounding him and that was from his friends and family. The press was far worse.

Harry had just turned twenty one years old and it had been going on four years ago that he had finally defeated Voldemort. The next year, Professor McGonagall had convinced him to return to school for one final year as Head Boy. Looking back now, Harry knew she had used him much like everyone else in his life. Although he could understand it, he felt she should have been straight forward with him as to her reasons. She knew that with Harry there, the enrollment would go up and that would also push forward the efforts to repair the castle and gain the school additional funding.

He felt he was offered the Head Boy position as a publicity stunt to get what she wanted and needed. At this point, the woman he once thought of as a mother or grandmother figure lost his respect. He continued in the position mainly to appease his best friend Hermione Granger. She had always dreamed of being Head Girl and was roped into it the same as him. The only problem was even with all her intelligence, she couldn't see she was being used.

That year saw Ron and Hermione's relationship progress to the point where he proposed marriage. Ron had taken the option to join the Auror corps using the offer given by the Minister of Magic that any of them could have any job they wanted at the Ministry. Since Ron and Hermione were focused on each other, Harry ended back together with his former girlfriend Ginny. Even though he considered her a friend, his feelings for her had changed and he just felt something wasn't right between them anymore.

They graduated that June and continued to see each other as Harry tried to figure out just what he wanted to do with his life. He first tried his hand at professional Quidditch but left after one season. He had been heavily recruited out of school and finally signed with Puddlemore United team which also had his old captain, Oliver Wood, as the keeper. Harry quickly found that he was just being used as a publicity stunt to sell more tickets. He rarely played even though he was better than the starting seeker. He was primarily slotted as the reserve seeker and after a year of this, he didn't renew his contract and moved on.

The next thing he tried was being an Auror. True to his word, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic, took him on and gave him the position of a high ranking Auror. Harry soon found out that again he was being used for his fame to support the current Minister. Harry spent most of his time behind a desk or in front of an audience and soon became disenchanted with the Ministry and especially Minister Shacklebolt. He really felt betrayed that his old friend would do that to him and resigned after nine months on the job.

This is where problems really started developing between Ginny and him. While she craved the spotlight that was always shining on Harry, he didn't and he quickly realized that she was using him for his fame. She would push him harder and harder to be in the limelight so she could shine beside him as his girlfriend. He finally had enough and ended it after dating her for three years.

After graduation, Harry had moved into Grimmauld Place and tried to fix it up somewhat but his house elf Kreature preferred the house as it was so he wasn't able to make much progress with it. He had remained there up until about six months ago. While the house was safer than any in London, it had one slight problem. It was still under the Fidelis Charm from its days as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. As such, Harry did not get any privacy there as too many people who were aware of the secret.

After his and Ginny's break up, Harry had a constant stream of Weasleys and other coming to try and get him to reconsider his relationship with her. Among those was his best friend Hermione who just couldn't understand why he ended the relationship. Whenever Harry tried to explain, she would cut him off and try to tell him what was best for him. Harry finally realized that he would get no peace of mind there anymore.

It was that talk with Hermione that prompted Harry to go to Gringotts and see about his inheritance. The Goblins were still angry over the damage he had caused there during the war which led to a meeting with the head Goblin to try and work out a mutually beneficial agreement. They ran some blood tests on Harry and found that he had come into possession of quite a few families' vaults and titles by rights of conquest. Harry was told that since he killed them, he basically got their stuff. Well, in order to keep the assets of Potter and Black houses untouched, Harry signed over the contents of those vaults to the Goblin nation. The only thing Harry took from them was the collections of books stored there. The Goblins said they had no use for them and were glad to give them to Harry so that they didn't have to waste time and resources disposing of them.

With everything settled, Harry received a list of all the assets of both of his houses. Other than Grimmauld Place, he didn't own any other manors. Potter Manor had been destroyed during the first war when he lost his grandparents and the cottage his parents had been murdered in was now owned by the Ministry as a national monument. There had been other manors in the past but they had been sold to help fund the war effort. On the Potter side, all he had left were several properties scattered about Great Britain all with unknown conditions. Grimmauld was the only Manor on the Black side and most of the houses had been taken by the Ministry for harboring Death Eaters. The only plus to all this was that his vaults were overflowing with gold. He had enough to live comfortably for several lifetimes.

The Death Eaters titles he claimed were absorbed into the Black line and between both lines, he had accumulated twelve votes or seats in the Wizengamot. Harry was well aware that if he were to appear in the Ministry building he would be mobbed. He didn't want to deal with that and with the way he had been used by the Ministry; it was really not an option for him to join in said government. Harry went to his old friend Neville Longbottom and had several long talks about the wizarding world and what they felt was the direction it needed to take. When he was certain that he and Neville shared similar views, Harry assigned all his votes to Neville by proxy. After they had finished, Harry did a rare thing, he gave Neville a brotherly hug and said "You're a good man Neville. I feel things would be safe with you."

Neville had an eerie feeling the whole time during their talk and finally just asked "You're leaving aren't you?"

Harry turned and said "Between you and me Nev, yeah I am. I just can't take it anymore. No one will leave me alone anymore and I think I've already done my part. More than anything now, I just want to be Harry."

Neville nodded and said "Good luck Harry, um...thank you for what you did for all of us. If you ever need me, just know I will be there."

Harry turned and flooed back to Diagon Alley and went to the shop that was the house elf employment agency. He interviewed several elves and finally found one he liked named Chuck. Harry hired him and they popped into Grimmauld where he sent Chuck to pack all his belongings while he had a talk with Kreature. He left Kreature in charge of Grimmauld stating he couldn't live there at the moment since no one would leave him alone. Kreature understood and told Harry that he was just a call away if he was needed. Harry and Chuck visited the various Potter houses finding each one in complete disrepair. They were so bad that they eventually would just demolish them and banish the rubble. They had learned that the houses were no longer being cared for by house elves as they were released from their bonds when Harry's grandfather had died. They were down to the last property to visit and it was way up in Scotland. When they got there, the house wasn't in too bad of shape and could be made livable very easily.

The first thing Harry did was shrink all the furniture in the house and throw it in the fireplace. They then started stripping everything out of the house and redecorating it. By the end of the week, they had the interior completely done and Harry went out and purchased furniture for the house. Once they were satisfied with the inside, they started on the outside. After another week, Harry had a quite charming cottage and the grounds surrounding it were immaculate. One of Harry's favorite features of the house was the balcony off his bedroom that had a good view of the sandy stretch of the beach near St Cyrus where the house was located. The cottage had four bedrooms and three baths of which Harry felt the master suite was perfect for him and he had given Chuck the choice of one of the bedrooms.

The house was a non magical house to Harry's surprise. That meant he had electricity and even a TV. It also meant that he was not connected to the floo network. That meant a lot to Harry as no one could track him through the floo network.

Even though there were times the house reminded Harry of Shell Cottage, this was the first place he really felt he could call home. The house of his relatives was definitely not a home to him and Grimmauld was a place to live but definitely not home especially since Sirius died. For a long time, he considered Hogwarts his home but looking back he knew he never really felt safe there. There was also the fact that as soon as he stepped into the school, the staff and students all wanted something from him. They wanted to use him for their own personal gain or ideas. Sadly, the only feelings he associated with the castle at this point in his life were sadness, sorrow, and pain be it physical or emotional. He also felt saddened by the situation with his friends. The friendships he thought would last a lifetime were dying because they too wanted to use him for his money or fame.

Another thing he liked about the house was that it was in a largely uninhabited area and he had no neighbors for miles. He used the quiet to his advantage and started going through his mother's journals on charms, enchantments, potions, and runes. He also found some of his father's transfiguration journals in the family vault and started studying them as well. With the aid of the journals, he progressed quickly in those fields and decided he would eventually get his masteries in those subjects.

There were times when it got too lonely out there and he would take advantage of the fact that Aberdeen was a short apparition away. It was one of these times that Harry now found himself sitting at the café just watching people go by.

Harry snaps out of his thoughts to notice a very attractive brunette sitting at a table across from him. He takes the time to casually look her over and while she is shorter than what he thinks he is attracted to, she is quite curvy and well blessed in all the right places. He takes in her curly brown hair and very earthy appearance. She is quite cute with a scattering of freckles across her cheeks. He glances at her again and somehow thinks he knows her from somewhere but cannot place where. He graces her with a small smile and goes back to his tea and people watching.

Harry loses himself in thought once again and doesn't notice the woman come towards him and take a seat at his table. It had taken all her courage to approach him as she was pretty sure who it was behind those sunglasses. Unknown to Harry, the woman who had caught his attention had been crushing on him since their third year at Hogwarts. She wasn't a fan girl and was truly interested in Harry and not the boy who lived or whatever ridiculous title they had given him now.

She had gathered all her courage to approach him. Her stomach was fluttering from the butterflies flying around. She really didn't know what to say and just said "Come here often handsome?"

Harry blinked and came out of his own little world and said "Um…Yeah, I seem to pop in here several times a week."

She said "That's good. Maybe we will run into each other again soon."

"Um…Yeah its very possible." Harry thought far a minute and said "This isn't a pick up line but I'm sure I know you from somewhere."

With a shaky voice she whispered "I really don't understand why you would want to hide those beautiful green eyes behind those sunglasses."

Harry looked at her but still couldn't place her. When she noticed this she said "We've really only met once but you left a lasting impression on me. In fact, I could say you ruined other men for me."

Harry looked at her and frowned. He then said "And just how may I have done that?"

She said "Oh Harry, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. It's the least I could do for my rescuer."

Harry still had no clue as to how he knew this beautiful young woman.

She said "I'm sorry Harry, I don't mean to be so vague so let me just say that you saved me from an upper year in third year. You found me sprawled out on the floor with my books everywhere."

"Morag?"

"Yep, that's me but please call me Mhor. It is the name I go by here."

"Okay."

"Ever since that day and the kindness you showed me, you have been the standard that I held my dates up to. Sadly, they came up wanting."

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be. You helped me gather my books and then when I couldn't walk due to a sprained ankle. You carried me all the way to Madam Pomfrey to be looked after."

"Yeah, I remember you were so embarrassed by me having to carry you that you glowed all the way to the Hospital."

"Well yes, it was embarrassing but what had me blushing was being wrapped in your protective arms."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her and then smiled.

She said "That act of kindness changed me forever. I mean, as a little girl, I always fancied the great Harry Potter but it changed that day. No longer did I fancy the boy who lived but I then fancied Harry, the kind, gentle, caring, protective, and gorgeous young man that helped an ugly and plain bookworm who didn't watch where she was going."

"Mhor, you were never ugly or plain and the proof is in the stunning woman you have become."

"Why thank you Harry. You're not so bad yourself."

He bowed his head to her.

She laughed and said "You can relax Harry, I'm not some crazed fan girl or stalker but I have watched you over the years and that was how I was able to recognize you."

He raised his eyebrows a little.

She then said "Until you became friends with Luna, I was your most staunch supporter in Ravenclaw. Since that event, I knew who the real Harry was and liked what I saw."

Harry smiled back at her.

"So that brings me to my question. Judging by what I've heard and read have you truly walked away from the magical world?"

"Not really, I still love magic and still use it. I just can't deal with the people in that world anymore. No Offense."

"None taken. Now I think I can understand but not everyone is like them."

"I'm sorry but you would have to prove that to me. Almost everyone I once called friends have only been out to use me."

"I guess you just need some new friends then."

"Yeah like that can happen, as soon as they find out who I am, they will start seeing what angle they can work to help themselves."

"I'm not here looking for an angle Harry. I just thought maybe I could help or at the least lend an ear for someone who was thoughtful enough to help a girl he didn't even know."

"I'm sorry Mhor. These last few years have left me somewhat jaded in my views on people."

She nodded and thought for a second and then smiled at him.

"Well if I can use my Ravenclaw brain to screw up enough courage to come talk to you then I think I will just take it a step even further and ask you on a date or at the very least invite you for dinner with my parents tonight."

He studied her for a minute and knew he had felt no deceit from her. He finally said "Mhor, my life is not easy and being my friend will subject you to all kinds of stuff if it is ever discovered. I had to come up here to hide from it and I continually have to look over my shoulder to make sure I am not found. My whole life has been controlled by someone else up until six months ago. I am definitely looking for something different but want you to be aware of what being my friend means."

"Harry, I will take my chances. Now will you take a chance on me? I swear I won't let you down."

He thought for a few minutes and finally said "Dinner with your parents sounds really nice. I would love to."

He was rewarded with a bright smile and a kiss in the cheek which caused her to blush. She took out a piece of paper and wrote the address down. "Dinner is at seven, here's the address and don't be late." She said with a smile.

Harry arrived at the MacDougal's house at the appointed time. He had dressed in what he called nice casual in a pair of khakis and an oxford shirt. He wore his dragon hide boots just because he really liked the way the fit and for the fact that they were the nicest non dress shoes he had. For some reason he had become more nervous as it got closer to dinner. Harry reflected that it was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time.

Harry was openly welcomed by Mhor's parents and he instantly felt at ease. They had treated him like family and dinner became a very comfortable occasion for all of them. The good conversation continued as Harry helped them with the dishes and cleanup and then moved into the sitting room. None of them noticed the time as they were all having an enjoyable conversation. Harry finally glanced at his watch and paled. He said "Oh. I'm so sorry. I was enjoying this so much that the time got away from me. I apologize for taking up so much of your time and keeping you up so late."

Mhor's father, Monty, said "Harry, it is quite alright. We were enjoying ourselves too."

Harry stood as did the others and said "I have had a wonderful evening and as much as I hate it to end, I think I'd better go so that you can get your rest."

Monty offered his hand which Harry gladly took and before he knew it Mhor's mum gave him a very comfortable hug. (Comfortable for Harry was quite rare) They escorted him to the door with very warm farewells and asking him to come back soon. Mhor escorted him outside to the gate which is where she received a rare hug and kiss in the cheek form Harry.

He said "Mhor, thank you for inviting me tonight. I really had a great time."

She replied with a grin "I could tell. You forget that I have studied you for years and can read you pretty good."

'Um…Mhor, this has been the best evening I have had in several years. I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow evening."

"As far as I know I have no plans."

"Do you think maybe we could go out somewhere?"

"Definitely, I will be ready by six." She got on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

That first evening was the start of something rather unexpected by either of them. Harry and Mhor were so comfortable and at ease with each other that they spent almost every evening together. They would sometimes go out but mostly they would hang out with her parents for the evening. The time Harry spent with them gave him a new feeling of home and he couldn't get enough of it. He also became less paranoid about being found and drug back to London.

Harry would quite often receive letters from various people trying to get him to come back. Harry had learned to check the letters for portkeys or traces and would usually not respond to the letters and send the owls on their way. One evening, the subject came up and Harry bluntly said that they'll never leave him alone. Monty had a solution and taught Harry a charm that would hide his magical signature so that owls couldn't find him. As soon as he cast the charm, he had finally disappeared without a trace.

Three months after they had begun 'dating' or hanging out as they saw it, they went out to dinner. It was still fairly early and the weather was so nice that Harry decided to give up one of his secrets and apparated them to his home. Since it was her first visit there, she was given the complete tour and introduced to Chuck. He then grabbed her hand and led her out to the beach for a moonlit stroll. The evening was so perfect that he turned and gazed into her eyes. They leaned forward and shared their first true kiss. While he had kissed several girls over the years, there was no comparing this one to them. They could both feel the love shared between them and just knew this thing between them had just changed for the better.

While before the kiss they had talked of many things, afterwards was even better as they shared their dreams and desires for the future. They also shared their past with each other and while Mhor's had been mostly pleasant, Harry's had not been and she sat there and held him as he dealt with some of his most painful memories.

She learned a lot about Harry over the next few months. She found out that he was so rich that he or his grandchildren would never have to work a day in their lives. She also learned that he needed a purpose and to feel useful. During their talks, she helped him realize that he had a desire to work with his hands. He felt it must have been in his genes as the Potters had started out as potters. In his family books, they found examples of some of his ancestors' works and were amazed by the beauty of it.

Their talks had resulted in a realization that he wanted to do woodworking and more specifically, he wanted to make wands and brooms. She told of her desire to obtain her masteries in several fields. They discussed it some more and Harry wanted to join her in her pursuit. He already had a Mastery in Defense due to his efforts during the war. When he took his newts, the testers had extended his exam and tested him for the mastery level as well. His results granted him a grand mastery as he scored higher than anyone else ever had.

Harry and Mhor decided they wanted to gain masteries in runes, charms, transfiguration, and enchantment. She worked with him for a month on runes to catch her up to him. They had help in the form of his parents' journals and were quickly ready to start their formal studies.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Nope, still broke so I still don't own Harry Potter or make any money off of it.**

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Mr. Flamel, thank you for pointing that out. I have a tendency to do that. This is not a betrayal fic per se. Harry grew tired of being used for his fame by everyone. The only one who didn't use him was Hermione. His problem with her was that she quit listening to him and acted like she always knew what was best for him. Her tendency to do this caused Harry to quit talking to her. I hope that clears up some things for Harry just wants to live his life as he sees fit.**

**Chapter 2**

Harry and Mhor decided it was time to begin work on their masteries and contacted Ragnok for a list that he felt would be acceptable tutors. They both knew that being acceptable in the eyes of the Goblins was high praise and it meant that these tutors would be stand outs in their fields. They decided that Mhor would act as the interviewer and would make the decision based on how they answered several questions. Another determining factor was whether or not they would tutor under a secrecy oath to protect Harry's privacy.

One evening after the interviews were complete, they sat in her parents' sitting room discussing all the tutors. They were narrowing the list down and sought Monty and Madeline's (or Maddy as she wanted to be called) advice on the matter. This was an unfamiliar situation for Harry as all the adults in his life so far had made the decisions for him and not given advice or offered him a choice. To be quite honest, Harry was quite taken with the whole MacDougal clan and truly felt a part of this family dynamic.

Once the decision was made, they found themselves with a Goblin instructor for runes. This Goblin was a retired master curse breaker and had informed them that along with runes, they would be able to get their masteries in warding as well because his method of teaching included both. This pleased Harry and Mhor greatly.

Their transfiguration tutor was an American witch who would portkey in twice a week for lessons and testing. The final instructor was familiar to both of them as he was Mhor's head of House for seven years and one of Harry's favorite professors. He was more than happy to take on the tutoring for both charms and enchantment.

They both were fully committed to this plan as they would be tutored seven days a week for at least the next year. The schedule they worked out was runes and warding on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They would have transfiguration on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The only time Filius would be available was on the weekends so he would spend Saturday and Sunday with them.

It was agreed that after they had achieved their masteries, Filius could use them as references as he was planning to soon retire from Hogwarts and start tutoring advanced students. With Harry as a reference, he was assured he could be very selective as to who he taught. One thing they found out about private tutoring was that it was very expensive. It was so expensive that Mhor almost cancelled her part as she felt she couldn't ask her parents to foot the bill for this. She didn't earn enough at her job to be able to pay for the lessons.

Harry said "Mhor, I know this is something you have dreamed of for a long time. Just take the classes and don't worry about the money. I think I can afford it."

"No Harry, I won't have you spending that much money on me."

Harry thought about it for a minute and had an idea. He pulled out his last Gringotts statement, handed it to her, and said "Mhor, I think I can afford it."

Her eyes bugged out as she looked at the statement. She them said "I'm not a charity case Harry. I can save my money and do it later."

Harry said "Mhor, if I can't spend money on those I love then there is no point in having it."

That one argument made her relent.

The next week, they dove head first into their training and studies for their masteries. They spent the next year soaking up the knowledge of their tutors and were helped immensely by Harry's parents' journals and Monty's warding journals. These journals helped them understand the subjects more easily and made the year much easier than it should have been. The three tutors deemed them ready to test after barely a year had passed.

In order to avoid magical Britain, they arranged to take their exams in Geneva, Switzerland at the ICW headquarters. The tests were to be completed over four days with them getting their results on the fifth. Harry had arranged a hotel suite for them to prepare and relax in as they tested. Harry and Mhor made full use of the suite and would prepare for the next days exams every evening. The suite had a private hot tub which was used every evening to relax. The first night, Harry slipped into the tub to be joined by Mhor a few minutes later. She came to the tub in a bikini that had Harry's eyes bugging out. He knew quite well that she had a curvy figure but had never appreciated it as he could tonight. The sight caused a reaction in him that had him shifting to get comfortable. If she noticed his 'discomfort', she never made mention of it but she did enjoy Harry's stunned appearance at her bikini.

They passed the exams with flying colors and were told that with their results, they could easily obtain their grand masteries in all subjects. All they would have to do is create something that used all four fields and worked seamlessly together. Harry and Mhor also found the major benefit to being given their masteries by the ICW was that they were licensed worldwide. If they had tested in England, they would only be licensed there as the ICW did not recognize the outdated testing held there.

When Harry heard this, he asked the ICW Head of Education. "Would it be too much trouble for me test for the ICW mastery in Defense before we leave?"

"It may possible. Let me check to see if the other instructors are still here. (He sent four patronuses off.) You see, in our test, you have to go up against all our instructors in a duel. If you win the duel, you will be granted Grand Master status. The status drops for every instructor you fail to eliminate. There is also a time limit to the test. The fastest time recorded to this date is twenty minutes and that record has stood for over one hundred years."

Harry nodded and decided he would have to pull his ace out of his sleeve for this one. He actually held three aces but not even Mhor knew of these.

Mhor reached over and took his hand. "Harry, are you sure you want to do this? I know you told me you would never willingly walk in to another fight and you would have to do that here."

"Yes Mhor, I would like to know that I earned my title instead of it being given to me for my fame. These people don't care who I am and will truly test me. I want….no; I need to do this for my own peace of mind."

"Okay Harry, if you are sure."

He gave her a lopsided grin and said "Yes dear, just think of their faces, when they find out I am rated a Worldwide Grand Master of Defense. (She knew he meant wizarding Britain.) It would justify my leaving and just how wrong they were."

The instructors gathered and set things up for the duel. It was determined that since he already had his masteries in the other subject he would not have to sit the practical part of the exam. They said that his defeat of Voldemort was also a contributing factor. The duel begun and before the instructors knew it, he had pulled a second wand as well and had stunned and bound all of them within ten minutes. Within ten minutes, Harry had made use of all the fields of magic to hold his opponents at bay so that he could take them out one by one.

The fact alone that he could cast with two wands was unheard of and would instantly grant him his mastery. When he took them all out without ever being touched by a spell, they instantly granted him a Grand Mastery and the status of a Battle Mage. Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were the last two wizards to hold that title.

Mhor asked as they were leaving. "Harry, where did that other wand come from?"

"Not here. I will explain once we get back to our rooms."

They apparated into their suite and he was instantly hit with an "Okay, now spill mister!"

Harry led her to the sofa and said "Mhor, I'm sorry but what I am about to tell you will require an oath. It is not that I don't trust you because I trust you more than anyone but this will ensure your magic will not release the secret."

She knew that if Harry needed an oath that it was big. She gave her oath and he said "I told you how my wand was broken years ago and how I used the elder wand to repair it."

She nodded. He started again "Mhor, I'm sorry but I lied to you." A frown formed on her face.

"I never put the elder wand back in Dumbledore's tomb." He ejected three wands from his wrist holder.

He picked up the first one and said "This is my repaired holly wand that I've always had and usually use."

She nodded for him to continue. He picked up another wand and said "This is the elder wand. I knew that if I put it back in Dumbledore's tomb, someone would try and take it again. I decided that since I was the master of the wand, I would keep it with me and keep it safe. I use it very rarely and hope to break its history by retiring the wand at the end of my life. You are the only person who knows this."

"I understand why you lied and can forgive that. I also know that isn't the second wand you used today."

Harry smiled at her and said "You are quite right, love, the wand I used today was Voldemort's. Our wands were brother wands due to the twin cores and it responds to me as well as my holly wand. That is the secret behind dual casting as it is only possible with twin cores. With the twin cores, your magic doesn't have to strain to connect to two cores. In essence, you are connecting to one core which allows your magic to flow out of both wands as if it were one."

She was completely amazed by all this and just said "Wow."

Harry and Mhor took a portkey back to the MacDougal house that evening. In gratitude for what Harry and done for their daughter, Monty and Maddy took them out to dinner to celebrate. It was a joyous affair like always and the conversation turned to the future.

Monty finally said as he looked at the two of them "So, what's next?"

Harry said "I think a much needed vacation to start with. Then I think I will contact Ragnok again and see if he can recommend a good wand or broom maker to apprentice under."

Mhor said "I like the vacation idea. Originally I wanted to teach but now I think I like Harry's idea better. I guess I've been around him too long now and want to create something. If I taught now, I think it would only be as a private tutor because I really don't see how Filius taught the unwilling and lazy all these years."

Harry just nodded. He had slipped back into his thoughts and zoned out. He was thinking on the last year and a half since he and Mhor had been dating if that's what you called this. He likened their relationship to a cross between his relationships to Hermione and Ginny only this was so much more relaxed and comfortable. He and Mhor shared the closeness he felt with Hermione but there was also a smoldering fire there as well. If he was honest with himself, this past year and a half with Mhor had been one of the better times of his life. When they were apart, he truly missed her and it helped him realize that he had slowly fallen in love with her. In his heart, he felt the relationship they built was a strong one that could withstand the trials that life would surely throw at them based on his life up to now.

Mhor was trying to get his attention as she was familiar with the zone. When he finally realized she was speaking to him he said "I'm sorry love, my mind was elsewhere."

She responded with a blush and her parents shared a smile between them. Since dinner was over, they went back to the MacDougal home and continued their conversation over coffee. It was late once again when Harry apparated home after sharing a few kisses with Mhor.

The next day found Harry at Monty's office asking for a meeting. When Harry was ushered into his office, with a grin Monty said "Hey Harry, to what do I owe this visit?"

"Well Mr. MacDougal." He was immediately cut off by Monty.

"Harry, I thought we were past this Mr. MacDougal stuff."

"Well, in this case, Mr. MacDougal is more appropriate."

With a serious face, Monty said "Ok Harry, go on."

"Well Sir, I came to ask your permission to ask Mhor for her hand in marriage."

"I see. Have you discussed this with her?"

"No Sir, I wanted to talk to you first."

Monty was impressed by this. "Well, Mhor is my only daughter so tell me why I should agree to this?"

Harry nervously replied "Sir, I…I love her and can't live without her. Whenever we are apart, all I can think about is when I will get to see her again. I want to be with her because she treats me as just Harry and all I want is her happiness and would do anything for her. I would even give everything I own for her including my life. I would protect her with my dying breath."

"Wow Harry, that was pretty good. Now what I want to know is why now?"

"It was mainly because we've been so busy this past year that I never really thought about my feelings for her. Last night I realized just how happy I have been since she has been in my life and I never want it to end."

"Well young man, I can't say as Maddy and I haven't seen this coming. It was quite evident last night. I'm just really surprised it took you this long to see what we have seen for quite a while."

Harry blushed and said "Well everyone always said I was a little off when it came to my feelings. As you know, my early home life wasn't that great so it has made me slow to react to my emotions."

Monty laughed and said "Well, better late than never. Maddy and I have already talked about it and agreed to it. So yes Harry, you have our permission and blessing to ask Mhor to marry you. I would like to make one request."

Harry smiled and said "Anything!"

"Well as you well know, I don't hold to the wizarding marriage customs as is evident if you know Maddy and me. Maddy is my partner in everything. We share decisions and talk about everything. I have found it is a good practice and makes for a far happier marriage and life. I have never regretted it in all these years and my love still grows for her daily. I expect nothing less for my daughter and her husband. Do you think you could do that?"

"Yes Sir! Her happiness is all I want. We already share and discuss everything with each other. I will gladly share everything that I have with her be it my heart, life, home, money, or anything else. Well I can't share my heart because it already belongs to her. I don't think I could have it any other way."

"I will be proud to call you my son in law that is if she says yes. But I'm sure she will. Now we would feel honored if you called us Mum and Dad. You are already part of our family and have been for a while. We would never try to replace your parents but want you to know we will always be there for you whether you and Mhor are having a rough spot or not. We love you both and already consider you our son."

Harry's eyes glistened and said "Thank you. I think I'd like that.

It helps that I have been seeing you two as that too."

Monty stood and gave Harry a hug which was easily returned. Monty said "One last piece of advice. Go get the ring before you ask. It'll make it easier and she will know you are serious about it."

"Yes Sir, I'll go now. By the way, do you think she would wear my mother's ring? It's been in the family for generations and I would really love to have another Potter wear it."

"Harry, I think she would be honored and thrilled to wear your mother's ring."

Harry cast a disguising charm on himself and apparated to Gringotts. He approached a teller and asked to be taken to his vault. Once he handed over his vault key, the Goblin replied in a low voice "Of course Lord Potter."

His trip to the vault was successful for he found his mother's engagement ring along with his parents' wedding bands. There was a note accompanying them that caused Harry to smile once he read it. On his way back up from the vaults, Harry asked if it might be possible to meet with Grimlock, his account manger. During their brief meeting, Harry instructed him to sell all his properties except Grimmauld, the house he was living in, and the Potter Estate. He wanted the proceeds from the sell off of his properties to be used towards restoring Grimmauld into a proper house. He contracted the Goblins to have this done and wanted to turn the grounds of Potter Estate into a vast garden and magical creature preserve.

They decided to go visit Grimmauld Place to get an idea of what Harry wanted done. When they arrived, they found Kreature had recently died and the house had decayed even more. Harry called for Chuck who instantly appeared. "Yes Harry Sir?"

"Hey Chuck, I need your help with a few things. First, we are going to restore and modernize this house. I would like all the snake motifs removed and the house cleaned and brightened up. I have contracted with Gringotts to have the work done and ask that you work with them to see that my wishes are carried out. I would like this place to be something I can be proud of."

"Yes sir."

"Now, in addition to being my personal elf, I also want you to act as my head elf. That means I want you to hire a staff of at least four elves. I would prefer one be a female to live in Scotland with us to attend to Mhor who I hope will soon be joining us permanently. We will need one to maintain this house and two to maintain the grounds at Potter Estate. I will accept your decision on the elves you choose and would be fine with a bonded pair for Potter Estate."

"Yes Sir, I will start on it immediately and have them at your home to meet this evening."

"Thank you Chuck"

Chuck bowed and popped out. Grimlock had all the information he needed and asked Harry to remove the Fidelis Charm so his teams could begin their work.

Harry located the master ward stone and used his blood and magic to take complete control of the wards. He used the house's powerful wards to dispel the charm and to lock out everyone but those of Potter family magic and the Goblins who had been given permission. He also inspected the seal on the Black library he had placed on it before he moved to Scotland. He learned through the wards that there had been several attempts to enter but none had been successful.

Harry apparated home about an hour after the others had left and found Chuck talking with four elves. Chuck spoke very good English which suited him well for the position he now held.

Chuck said "Harry Sir, I would first like to introduce you to Dinky, my bonded. I think she would serve well here and could share my room. It would also give me the opportunity to spend some time with her as well.

Dinky curtsied to Harry and said, "It be an honor to meet the Great Harry Potter Sir."

Harry stared at her for a moment before she said "Yes Harry Potter Sir, I be the daughter of Dobby and Winky."

Harry said "Your father was my greatest friend and I owe my life to him. I also thought very highly of your mother."

Breaking with custom, Dinky ran over and hugged Harry's legs.

Chuck broke in with "Harry Sir, I would also like to introduce Wobby, Dinky's brother."

Harry bowed and said "It is an honor to meet the son of my friend."

Wobby teared up a little at that.

Harry asked "May I ask about your mother?"

Wobby said "Winky couldn't be living without Dobby and went to be with him."

Harry said "I'm sorry, I didn't know and now I know I took both your parents from you."

Dinky said "Harry Sir, theys spoke of nothing better than helping the Great Harry Potter. Winky said they gave themselves out of the love theys had for you."

Harry said "I loved them too."

Chuck then introduced the last two elves. Harry Sir, this is Blinky and her bonded Louie who is my brother. They would like the opportunity to serve you at Potter Estate. They would also ask if you would allow them to raise a family."

"Um….that would be fine with me. Now, knowing Dobby and Winky so well, I will give you the choice, do you want me to hire you or be bonded to you?"

All the elves, including Chuck asked to be bonded. Harry surprised them when he bonded them not as his servants but as his family. They were all joyous and could feel their magic growing strong again. You see being unbound was unhealthy for them.

They all were given their assignments and happily popped away. Before they left, Harry informed them that he was to be called Harry and only Harry. No master, sir or anything else as they were family. Dinky set about setting the house right because two men were incapable of doing it properly. Harry told her of his plans for the evening and the future and she became even more excited.

Harry apparated to Mhor's house and ended up waiting for her as she and her mother were out shopping. When she arrived, he gave her a kiss and asked "Do you have plans tonight Mhor? I would like to take to you dinner and then maybe a stroll on the beach."

"I would love to. Give me a minute to get changed."

As they were leaving Maddy gave him a knowing smile and said "You two have fun."

They had a nice dinner at their favorite restaurant. He then apparated them to his home and took her hand and walked toward the beach. It was again a nice evening which made their stroll even more enjoyable. With one hand wrapped in hers and the other wrapped around the ring, they continued to walk and enjoy each other's company. As Harry gathered his courage, Mhor could sense something was on his mind.

She finally asked "Harry, what has got you all worked up? Come on, out with it."

Harry just turned to her and said "You know me too well my love."

She gave him a curious gaze while he thought 'Gryffindors charge ahead.'

He took both her hands and said "Mhor, this last year and a half have been really great. I don't think I have ever been as happy in my life as I have since we started this. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a family and I never want to lose that. (He got down on one knee.) Mhor, I love you and I don't think there could ever be another person more perfect for me than you are. Will you marry me?"

She stood there for a minute with tears glistening in her eyes. She hugged him close and said "Yes Harry my love, I will marry you."

They shared a passionate kiss and when they broke apart, Harry placed the ring on her finger. There was a flash of light when the ring resized to fit her. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the magnificent ring on her finger. It must have been four carats at the least. She said "This is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen."

"I'm glad you like it, it was my mother's."

"Oh Harry, I can't wear your mother's ring. She was too special for me to feel worthy enough to wear something of hers."

Harry smiled and handed her the note.

_My Dearest Harry,_

_When the day comes that you find your one true love that holds your heart, nothing would please me more than you giving this ring to her. This ring has been passed down through the generations of Potters and can only be worn by your true love. This ring has many enchantments on it and will only accept the one who has the qualities to be Lady Potter. The main quality is that her love for you is as great as yours for her but she also needs to have all the traits of the Founders. The ring acts much like the Sorting Hat and looks for loyalty to you, bravery to stand up for her family, ambition and cunning, and intelligence. If you don't know it already, Potter men have always pursued smart girls. I love you my son and wish you and your future wife all the happiness life can give._

_With All My Love,_

_Lily_

_(Mum)_

Tears were flowing down Mhor's face as she read it. When she finished, she gave Harry a long kiss and then hugged him close to her. The next thing he knew, they were standing in her parents' sitting room in front of Monty and Maddy. The grins on the kids' faces were enough to know what happened and they were engulfed in a family hug.

Maddy said "I'm so happy for you both. We could not have asked for a better partner for our daughter." The hug tightened again and when it was released, Maddy said "So when is the wedding?"

Harry said "Right now is not soon enough."

This earned him a kiss from Mhor but was refused by the two women. Maddy said "Every girl and her mother deserve the wedding they want."

Harry smiled and said "I don't want to be away from Mhor anymore. How soon can we do this?"

Maddy said "If you two will wait a month. I promise to have everything ready by then."

Monty said "As a concession for making you wait, we will allow you two to spend the night together." When both kids smiled he added "However, it will always be here and we will require a magical oath from both of you promising no relations until the wedding night. This is not negotiable and you will understand our reasons after you are married."

Harry looked at Mhor who was looking at him hopefully. He said "Love, I'm fine with whatever you want."

She kissed him and they took the oath. Harry spent every night with Mhor until the wedding. The joy and comfort of being in each other's arms just added to the excitement of the impending wedding. If Harry learned anything over that month, it was that everything would be fine as long as he and Mhor were together.

Harry and Mhor decided on a muggle wedding which would include all her friends and family as many were non-magical. Monty and Maddy were muggle-born and had chosen to live and raise their daughter in the muggle world. They taught her about magic from a young age and she was well versed in wizard customs but they wanted her to experience both worlds. Harry and Mhor were uniquely suited for one another as they fit into both worlds and could seamlessly walk from one to the other.

The fact that Harry hadn't been found was proof of this. No wizard would believe that he would leave their world and the one witch who should have been able to figure it out had her head shoved too far up her own and the Weasley's asses. There were times when Harry wanted nothing more than to talk with his best friend Hermione. The only thing that stopped him from contacting her was he couldn't trust her to keep it between them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter or make money from this.**

**AN: I tried to have a little fun with this chapter and let Harry get a little payback. Like I said, it is not really a betrayal story but one of Harry getting fed up with his life and wanting to start over. I really appreciate the reviews and am encouraged by them. I think there may be one or two chapters left in this story or maybe one chapter then an epilogue. This story just started flowing out of me and I felt the need to write it. **

**Chapter 3**

Harry and Mhor had decided on a simple muggle wedding ceremony. Harry was very supportive as it was what Mhor wanted and truth be known, he really didn't care as long they were married soon. The benefits of the muggle ceremony were twofold. The first was Mhor could have her non magical family and friends attending. The second was it would be unknown to the magical world therefore granting them the privacy they desired. Any magicals that were attending were from Mhor's family and Monty had enacted a family oath from them ensuring the wedding would remain private and news of it not leak out.

Harry was standing alone at the front of the church as he watched Mhor being escorted down the aisle by her father. She was in a beautiful white dress that was only outshone by the beautiful woman wearing it. He was mesmerized as she approached and his mind kept traveling back to the bikini incident in Geneva. Harry was all too aware of the pleasures that awaited him tonight as her. Much like Maddy, Mhor was short but was incredibly blessed with substantial curves. If he were to be honest, he was a little nervous and excited with what the night held for them.

In a rare occurrence for a wedding, once Monty gave Mhor to Harry, he went to stand beside him as best man. Maddy was also standing with Mhor. While some thought it odd, many realized just how close this family was as it spoke of immense respect and love to have your father in law stand with you.

While the minister was reading verse and speaking of the love these two shared, Harry and Mhor were standing face to face and holding hands. The young couple was so into each other that his emerald eyes were locked with her brown almost black ones. Monty and Maddy both had to prompt them into giving their vows to each other. Once the rings were placed on each others' hands, the minister called for the first kiss as husband and wife. The kiss was full of passion and emotion and the marriage bond flared bright white. The magical guests expected this and started using flash cameras just as soon as their lips met. They did this for all mixed weddings to try and keep the questions to a minimum.

When they broke the kiss Harry said "I love you Mhor. Always and forever!"

"I love you too, my husband." And she pulled him back in for another deep kiss.

The reception was held at a local dance hall and was a joyous affair with plenty of food and drink. The newlywed couple had sworn off all alcoholic beverages as they didn't want anything to diminish their first night as husband and wife. Harry and Mhor danced to quite a few songs and made plenty of time to dance with her parents. They were able to thank most of the guests personally for sharing their happy day with them and not soon enough for the young couple, the reception finally wound down with them taking their cue to depart for their honeymoon.

**HidingOut**

Harry took Mhor by surprise when he portkeyed them to a villa in the Caribbean. The villa came with its own private beach where clothes became non existent for the newlyweds. Almost as soon as they landed, clothes were flying all across the bedroom and they excitedly explored each other thoroughly. The excitement was too great and their virginities were awkwardly but passionately taken. They lay in the bed basking in the afterglow and cuddling with each other.

After an hour, Mhor turned to Harry and said "My love, while that was great, I think we can do better than that."

She handed him a potion while she took one of her own. Harry was promptly attacked as she told him "Practice makes perfect."

They went at it like bunnies for most of the week claiming they were practicing their technique. The couple had found a book on sex magic where they had learned a simple charm to keep the beach sand from interrupting their activities. They somehow managed to get all over tans even though there was usually one on top of the other. The book had also directed them to a magical medicine cabinet which contained stamina and soreness soothing potions. By the end of the week, they had used every potion vial in the cabinet.

One night, Harry was holding Mhor and he whispered "I never knew life could be this good. Thank you for marrying me Mhor."

She kissed him and said "Me either love, I never knew my stalking would pay off like this."

Harry chuckled and said "Hmmm….I think Harry wants Mhor."

She curled up against him tighter and said "I can feel that my love, now what are you going to do about it?" And off they went again.

**HidingOut**

The happy couple was disappointed to leave their island paradise and go back to the real world. On their return to Scotland, They stopped by Monty and Maddy's house to just say hello before they went to the cottage for the first time as husband and wife.

Maddy asked "So you went to the Caribbean? What did you do?"

Harry and Mhor responded with deep blushes. It was Mhor who spoke "Nothing much Mum, just laid on the beach for a week."

Maddy blushed and said "Was that laid or LAID?"

All Harry could do was grin and say "Yes"

Their first night in the cottage went much like the honeymoon. They christened their bedroom, balcony, bath, beach, and picnic shelter down by the beach. Dinky popped in at one point to hand them potions and then popped right back out. The love being broadcast by their bonded caused Chuck and Dinky to become quite amorous that night as well.

The next day, it was quite a happy foursome that began their day. Harry and Chuck made the plans for and started building the workshop that would be needed for Harry's newest interest. The shop ended up pretty big and was completed within the week with the help of Mhor and Dinky. The ladies had bonded and were trying to spend as much time with their men as possible if only to keep them out of trouble. Mhor and Dinky quickly left when Harry started speaking of the tools he would need. With a glazed look, Harry was naming the items that would be needed to outfit the shop as Chuck simply wrote them down. That evening, Dinky had to hold up dinner for an hour as in his excitement over the shop, Harry had drug Mhor into the shower with him to help him 'clean' up as he put it.

**HidingOut**

Grimlock had really come through and found a retired wand and broom crafter for them to apprentice under. The man, Justin, had recently retired and left his business to his heirs. Since he had free time, he agreed to teach the young couple and even moved into their house with them while they were learning. Harry and Mhor spent a year under his tutelage until they had prepared a series of wands and brooms to his satisfaction. Their masteries in the other fields of magic sped the process along greatly as did the fact that they had been studying the crafting techniques ever since they finished their masteries. It wasn't long before he left them with full credentials and declared them journeymen wand and broom crafters. He told them all they had to do to become masters was to submit a truly innovative design to the ICW for approval.

**HidingOut**

They lay in bed one night and Harry was being unusually quiet. Mhor turned and asked "What has you so deep in thought my love?"

Harry said "I was just thinking of how lucky I am that you came into my life. My life is so great now that I find myself wanting to gloat at everyone back home about what we have achieved and the fact that I found someone as wonderful as you."

"What do you want to do? Wobby said Grimmauld is finally ready after a year of extensive upgrading and reconstruction. We could go there and make an appearance in London."

"I would love to do that but then they would track us down and try to pull me back in or at the least, start pestering me again. No love, I love the freedom we have to live our lives. I can't thin of a better place to live and raise children. I was thinking I could write Neville and let him do my dirty work for me. I will ask him but I would bet that he would enjoy doing that."

"Well then, let us do just that!" she jumped out of bed still naked from their lovemaking. He was admiring her beauty and her body as she pulled him out of bed.

Harry said "Merlin you drive me crazy. I am so lucky to have such a beautiful and let me say HOT wife."

She blushed and said "Why thank you my husband. You have that same effect on me. But you won't feel that way when the children start coming."

"Oh I can promise you by then I will love you even more. Now, speaking of children, when do you want to start?"

She said "My current contraceptive potion wears off this weekend. So would next week be too soon?"

"That would be perfect my love."

She grabbed him in a fierce hug and told him 'thank you' repeatedly.

He pulled her back into bed where they made love once again. Once they were both satisfied for a little while, Mhor drug him off to write the letter.

**HidingOut**

Chuck popped to the wards of Longbottom Manor and gave the letter to a house elf who met him there. Chuck said "Lord Potter sends his greetings to Lord Longbottom." Chuck then popped away.

The house elf popped back into the manor and gave the letter to Neville. He said "Lord Potter sends his greetings."

Neville's eyes grew wide as did his wife's, Neville had recently married Katie Bell after a two year courtship.

Katie chuckled and said "So the chosen one reappears."

Neville mock glared at her and nervously opened the letter.

_Lord Longbottom,_

_HAHA. Hey Nev its Harry. This paragraph is charmed to disappear once you read it so do so carefully. I'm sorry it has been so long since we have spoken but as I said when we last talked, you are a good man and have my utmost confidence. I know you have held up your part as the vow we made has not been broken. I wanted to write to you and give you an opportunity like no other. This would be to help me get revenge on a certain family of redheads and a certain bookworm. You may also use it on whomever else you see fit. As I've said before, I trust YOU! Oh yeah, if YOU need to contact me, you may do so through Grimlock at Gringotts. There will be some things said in this letter that is not meant to embarrass you but to piss certain people off. Have fun!_

_Hello my friend, it has been a long time. I hope this letter finds you well. I know you were worried about my leaving Britain to get away from those that would use me for my fame but if I must say so, things have worked out rather well for me. I see where things have worked out rather well for you as I congratulate you on your marriage to Katie. I can think of no one better to be your Lady Longbottom. She is truly a noble and honest woman. She also possesses a passion for life that I feel would make it a truly happy union for you both._

_It has been three years since we last spoke and I have managed to accomplish so much it is unreal. First off, let me say that my magical signature is charmed and warded to hell and back and I cannot be found unless I choose to. I'm sorry to say but it has to be that way for me to have any peace in my life._

_Of my accomplishments in these last few years, my greatest is finding and marrying the love of my life. I have never been so welcomed into a family or felt as loved as I have since I met her. I will not give names but I can assure you that you have met her before. I will give you a hint and that is great things come in small packages. I am by far the luckiest man alive to have such a beautiful and 'HOT' wife. Between us, at the rate we are going, we will end up with more kids than Arthur and Molly. Did I mention how lucky I am?_

_Now, I must tell you that my wife inspires me like no other has ever done. Not only is she my wife but she is my true best friend. She always takes time to listen to me and gives me the opportunity to finish before she responds. She is without a doubt the smartest person I know. Her love and support have led me to earn International ICW Masteries in Charms, Transfiguration, Runes, and Enchantment. We also have the option to gain our Grand Masteries in those subjects as well and are currently working towards that goal._

_Now, I would like to give you a bit of advice. If you want or have a mastery, please go get tested by the ICW as they don't recognize our ministry's licenses as they are based on outdated concepts and not worth the paper they were printed on. I was also informed that no other country will recognize them as valid licenses for this very reason. They also are completely objective and will never award status on the basis of what you did during the war or who you are friends with._

_When we learned this, I immediately requested they test me for my defense mastery as the Grand Master status I hold in England is worthless. Well I am pleased to tell you that I not only passed my mastery in defense but have gained the title of the ICW's Grand Master of Defense. At this time, I am the highest ranking Defense Master in the world and have been given the title of Battle Mage. I am pleased to say that I'm the first to hold that title since Godric and Salazar. The only person ever ranked higher than me has been Merlin and come on, who could ever really top Merlin? It amazes me that while in the employ of the Ministry; I was assigned to a desk and to making public appearances with the Minister. I can only guesses as to why this was done._

_Sadly, we found that the education we received at Hogwarts is considered substandard by the rest of the world. The assumption was that Albus hired substandard teachers and slowed the curriculum so that no one would ever outshine him. Based on this information, my wife and I decided that when our children came along and were of age to begin their schooling, they would be educated abroad. We would advise you to do the same._

_My wife and I have started our own business and serve a very select clientele. By select I mean that we select when and if we take a client. The Potter and Black estates have left us without the need to work and if my investments continue to flourish, our great grandchildren will not have to work a day in their life unless they choose to._

_Well my only friend, I just wanted to let you know I am fine and extremely happy in my new life. I never thought that hiding out would change my life so much for the better. It is my hope that one day we will meet once again and share the stories of our lives._

_Until That Time,_

_Lord Harry James Potter-Black_

Neville chuckled at the letter and handed it to Katie. Once she read it, she turned to Neville and said "Well that was definitely not the Harry I remember. He was almost gloating."

Neville laughed and said "I'm sorry dear; there was a paragraph at the beginning that was charmed to disappear once I read it. It told me that was exactly what he was doing and to use it to prank a certain group of red heads and a know-it-all bookworm. It was also a stab at Kingsley and Minerva for the way they used him."

"That was quite Slytherin of him."

"Yeah, well that is a whole another story. I know Harry well and I am sure he didn't lie about one single thing."

"Oh I'm sorry Neville, you know I love Harry and didn't mean it like that. Well now that he has thrown down the gauntlet, how do you want to proceed? Shall we make personal visits or just have it printed in the Prophet?"

"I think personal. That way we could see their faces and send Harry a copy of the memories. Then we will have it printed in the Quibbler. Merlin knows that the Prophet would twist the letter for theirs and the Minister's benefit. It should create quite a stir once the public knows."

"Ohhh, I like this Neville! I think I may need to take you and remind you why you are the true luckiest man in the world."

Neville smiled and said "Lead the way my dear."

**HidingOut**

The next day, Neville and Katie went to Hogwarts and met with Minerva. Neville was excited as he was going to enjoy pranking those who had used Harry and it showed on his face. In every case, it was misinterpreted as excitement over getting a letter from Harry which worked quite well for him.

Neville said "Headmistress, I have some great news. Lord Potter-Black finally contacted me. You need to see this letter."

He handed it to her and as she read it, her lips grew tighter as she felt the knife hit her heart. Harry had left because of the way they used him. He had gone on to be greater than she or her staff could ever hope to be.

Neville couldn't help it and decided to twist the knife. "It's really sad that Harry wasn't supported here and he had to get away from Hogwarts to achieve his true potential. I do hope you remember this when next you decide to use someone and hold them back. As of now, you have lost my respect and my support as a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Good day Headmistress."

Minerva sat in her office for a few minutes as tears fell down her cheeks. She was truly ashamed of herself as she realized she had used Harry just as Albus had done.

Neville and Katie were walking arm in arm into the Ministry with huge smiles on their faces. They went to Kingsley's office and requested a quick meeting. When he saw them and they were smiling, he was thinking that he was getting some good news.

Neville once again said "Minister, Lord Potter-Black has contacted me after all this time. You have just got to see this letter."

Neville handed him the letter and let him read. At first Kingsley was happy but that quickly went away as the shots were fired at the ministry. Kingsley was taken aback that the whole world thought of England as backwards. He also was ashamed that anyone who held masteries in his country would not be recognized in the rest of the world. The shot about masteries being given out as rewards was a painful one and probably the one that had caused England to lose their status with the ICW. It was then that the worst realization came to him. Here was Harry who once had looked to him as a friend and he had just used Harry to make himself look good. On top of that, Harry was the highest ranking defense master in the world and he had put him behind a desk. Kingsley also saw just how stupid he was as he had him and let him go. Surely he was now a joke amongst the other wizard leaders.

Neville read Kingsley's emotions and said "It hurts doesn't it? Right now you are sitting there and realizing just what a stupid ass you have been to have the only Battle Mage in the world in your employ and you let him go. In fact, you helped push him away. I can not in good conscience support an imbecile as a Minister and will be pulling my block of votes from your support. Have a good day Minister."

After Neville and Katie left, Kingsley say there and banged his head on this desk. As he banged his head, the word 'stupid' was being repeated over and over. If the realization over Harry wasn't enough, he just had fourteen votes taken from him that could be used against him. He knew his time in office would be cut short.

**HidingOut**

Neville and Katie waited a day to go to the burrow as they knew everyone would be gathered together for Sunday dinner. It was their desire to catch them all at the same time. They apparated to the Burrow, knocked on the front door, and were eagerly welcomed amongst the chaos that is the Weasleys.

Arthur said "Lord Longbottom, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Neville replied "We just had to come by. I received a letter from Lord Potter-Black and wanted to share it with you."

All heads and ears perked up at that. Ron managed to say "What does that traitor want?"

Hermione and Molly chastised him for the comment. Molly then said "Lord Longbottom, will you please share it with us. I've missed him so much."

There were quite a few nods around the table.

Neville started reading and watched as their faces paled and then grew sad and embarrassed. Neville saw many tears running down cheeks as he finished.

Hermione was openly crying and just said "Why didn't he talk to me if he felt that way?"

Ginny sobbed and said "He married someone else?"

Ron said "Wait a minute; I am a Grand Master of Defense. What does he mean it isn't worth the paper is was printed on?"

Molly cried and said "I always thought of him as one of my own. Why would he say that?"

Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and George just hung their heads down.

Neville said "Hermione, he told me you never listened to him any more. He said that at one time he felt you were the smartest witch he knew but that changed when you buried your head so far up Ron's ass that you quit thinking for yourself. He is now married to a witch who holds the same ICW masteries as he does except for the defense one. His exact words were you held him back just as bad as or worse than Ron ever did."

Hermione was openly crying now. She said "I need to talk to him and tell him how sorry I am."

Neville coldly said "You gave up that chance three years ago."

Neville started again "Ginny, all you did was use him for his fame. You never loved Harry or tried to understand him. You loved the spotlight that shown on you when you were with him. He told me that at one point he did love you but you quickly killed it by how you acted. He actually broke up with you so that he wouldn't start hating you."

Ginny was in denial "But I have waited for him to come back for me."

Katie said "Yes just like when you dated him but were spreading your legs for any bloke that came along? He knows all about that too."

Ginny's head went down so she wouldn't have to bear the glares of her family.

Neville next said "Ron, You used Harry for his fame. We know that when he left, you pushed yourself into the spotlight and made Kingsley give you the defense mastery for your accomplishments in the war after you threatened him with your leaving as well. It's funny how the story of your abandoning him was never heard. If all that isn't enough, you use your fame to have illicit affairs behind your wife's back. How much money is left from your reward after having to pay off those women or to pay for their abortions?"

Everyone sat there in shock. Katie finally spoke "Hermione, all those masteries you earned aren't worth anything outside of England. The only place you could teach is Hogwarts which for a school is quite a joke in the rest of the world. I hope you realize that you pushed aside the one man who would have granted all your desires and dreams for this lying and cheating fraud."

Neville said "Mr. Weasley, Harry sends his thanks for everything you did for him. Percy, he said no matter what, you are still a pretentious git. Bill and Charlie, he said he really didn't have any feeling one way or the other about you but if Bill were to hurt Fleur, he would come back just to show you how lacking a curse breaker would be against a Battle Mage. (Bill gulped.) And lastly we come to George Weasley. There was a time when Harry truly considered you a brother. It was this that prompted him to give you and Fred the money to start your business. Through Gringotts, he learned how you have been trying to steal back his share of WWW and have not paid his share of the profits since he left. Grimlock will be contacting you soon to work out an agreement. I think the only thing that will be accepted is that you pay all that you owe as well as buy out his share of the business. Oh yeah, he did mention at Gringotts interest rates."

Neville took Katie's arm and led her towards the door. Before they left, Neville said "Mrs. Weasley, if you had loved him instead of trying to use and control him, things might be different. In Harry's words as well as mine, if we never meet again, it will be too soon. Have a good life."

They closed the door behind them and heard the pandemonium break out. Hermione was cursing Ron into next week. They heard her shout 'Reducio' and could only guess that Ron would need tweezers to go pee next time. They also heard Arthur raise his voice and a loud smack rang out. The next thing they heard was Ginny sobbing as Arthur disowned her and threw the little whore (As he called her.) out of his house.

Katie turned to her husband and said "Did you come up with all that on your own?"

"No honey, not all of it. Grimlock was a big help. I also knew that with what we both knew, the devastation would be complete."

"You do like to let me have my fun."

"Yes speaking of that, lets go home so I can wash the taint they left on us off of that incredible body of yours."

"Ohhh, I've got to get you together with Harry more often. I like this new Neville."

As they were crossing the ward lines, Hermione ran past them in a blur. They could still see the tears flowing as she apparated away.

Neville and Katie stopped long enough to make the copies of their memories before they jumped into the shower. They quickly jumped in the shower and Neville enjoyed playing with his wife' long bottom all through the night and into the next day. As Katie lay basking in the afterglow, she thought 'I could get used to this. I have definitely got to keep them talking.'

**HidingOut**

At lunch the next day, Neville sat with quill in hand writing a note to Harry.

_Hey Mate,_

_Katie and I are forwarding some memories of the devastation your letter has wrought. We also added a few tidbits we have learned over the years for yours and our amusement. I hope you like the results. By the way, Luna sends her love and she will be running your letter along with an article based on the memories in the next edition of the Quibbler._

_Hoping to hear from you soon,_

_Neville_

_(The True Luckiest Man Alive as Katie seems to like this version of me.)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Harry Potter or make any money off of this. I do it for my own fun and hopefully yours. I would like to thank JK for creating such a fun world for us to play in.**

**AN: Sorry but a couple of quick notes. I want to thank you for the reviews. I originally intended for this story to be maybe 3 chapters but it has taken a life of its own and will be more than double that. I wrote this chapter and when I went back to edit it, it kept expanding and ideas kept flowing and this is what you get. I also felt Neville and Tracie had more than proven where their loyalties lie and decided to bring them into Harry and Mhor's lives a bit more. **

**N. Flamel, you may well get your wish. Every chapter I write seems to open up more for me to talk about. **

**Tumshie, no offense intended on the 'town' as far as St Cyrus, I was Googling maps of Scotland to get an idea of where things were located (I am a Yank after all) and saw an image of one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen. I thought it would be the perfect spot for a romantic cottage.**

**Chapter 4**

The evening that the post arrived from Neville and Katie, Harry and Mhor were laughing their heads off at the devastation wrought by the letter and by Lord and Lady Longbottom. A quick note was sent thanking Neville and Katie for their part in it.

**HidingOut**

After their discussion on starting their family, Harry and Mhor knew it was only a matter of time before family matters would interfere with their ability to gather the wood and core materials they would need. They were more than ready to start their business but lacked the materials they would need to be successful. Their wand crafting teacher had left them some resources that would prove quite useful. The first thing they did was join the International Wand Crafter's Guild. The information shared with them by the guild was worldwide directions to some of the rarest material and wood in the world. They contacted the ICW, the Goblins, and their former wand crafting teacher and were able to order quite a variety of wood and core material but found it somewhat disappointing that all that was available on order were basics. If they wanted the rare components, they would have to gather them personally.

In an unusual move by Harry, he listened to his wife's insistence that they sit down and plan out their trip. They both knew that with Mhor no longer being on the contraceptive potion that it would only be a matter of time before she became pregnant. Their rather frequent amorous activities would ensure that.

They sat down and planned out the logistics of their trip and sent Chuck out to buy some multi compartment trunks. Their main trunk would be their home away from home. They ordered a seven compartment trunk with very specific features. It was to have a master suite made of three compartments with a bedroom, master bath complete with a Jacuzzi tub, and a large walk in closet. It was also to have a full kitchen with a dining area, a library, a sitting room, and finally a storage compartment to hold their shrunken material trunks and whatever else they needed such as their brooms.

**HidingOut**

Our young couple spent the next few weeks traveling all over England to obtain wood and core material. After a week, they had collected quite a variety of wood but not much in the way of core material. A little frustrated at the lack of progress, Harry said "Love, I know where we can get quite a bit of the rarer woods and core material."

Mhor "And just where would that be Harry?"

Harry mumbled something to which Mhor said "Yes? I didn't hear that."

He finally said "the Forbidden Forest."

She grinned at him after thinking about it and said "Well, I suppose I will be safe in there with the world's greatest defense master with me."

He mock pouted at her for a minute then started laughing when he was rewarded with a kiss. He pulled her into a hug and apparated them to the edge of the forest on the side away from the castle. They went into the dark forest and kept their eyes open for any wood, possible core material lying around, and of course danger.

Their trip through the Forbidden Forest was very rewarding for both wood and core material. They had acquired quite a bit of thestral hair, unicorn mane and tail hair, centaur tail hair, and many feathers from magical birds which lived in the forest. When it became to dark to continue, they would climb into their trunk for the night and put up the strongest security and repelling wards they knew so they wouldn't be disturbed through the night. Every evening, they would shower or bathe together (to save water of course), eat a quickly prepared dinner, and then climb into bed to either study the wand crafting texts or enjoy each other. It usually didn't take long for the books to be thrown to the side for the much preferred act of lovemaking.

About three days into their foray into the forest, they heard a fierce battle taking place and snuck up to the sight. They stood there agape as they witnessed a battle between two manticores and a Gryffin. The battle was fierce and ended with the Gryffin being victorious but then succumbing to his wounds and falling over dead. The young couple wasted no time in harvesting all three beasts as they were quite rare and magically strong. By the time they were done, the three beasts had been rendered completely down. As they were working, they had decided to harvest the creatures for more than their wand creation abilities and would sell off whatever they couldn't use to potion makers or apothecaries.

During this process, Harry realized just what a treasure he had in Mhor. She had the heart of a lioness and wouldn't back away from almost anything. He gazed upon his beautiful wife and counted himself lucky. When they were finished, he came up behind her and hugged her tightly. She turned and said "Not that I mind in the least, but what was that for?"

Harry said "Just for being you. Not only are you beautiful, you are fearless, and you aren't a girly girl. Do you know how 'hot' you looked while you were harvesting that manticore?"

She laughed and said "Thanks, I think."

"No baby, I find something about you everyday that makes me love you even more. Most girls would scream and run away from something like this but you just rolled up your sleeves and dug in. I don't think I ever imagined finding someone that I'm so compatible with who would happily join in on my adventures."

"Well my dear, I knew when I married you that we would not have a 'normal' life. (He frowned a little.) No baby, not like that. I knew life with you would be one big adventure. One I happily signed on for. I love you and want to be with you. The fact that I do this stuff with you is that we are doing it together and will for the rest of our lives."

She walked over and passionately kissed him. She said "Thank you for giving me an abnormal life where I can feel loved and be happy sharing things with the one I love. Until the children start coming, I will always join you."

Harry said "That's kind of funny because the whole reason that I'm pushing so hard right now is so that I can be home with you when the children come along."

Since it was still early, they headed deeper into the forest until they came to a familiar clearing. The site still had the signs of it being an acromantula colony and it also still reeked of dark magic from Voldemort's time there. He grabbed her hand and led her out of there quickly. Along the way, she paled as he told her of why he was uneasy there. She stopped him long enough to give him a hug as she already knew the whole story. In their trek from the cursed clearing, they ran into Firenze who asked them to follow him. He led them to another clearing that held about twenty centaurs surrounding three rather large but bound acromantulas.

Firenze said "Lord Potter-Black, these are the last three of their kind in this forest. With Dumbledore gone, we were able to hunt them down and erase their stain from our forest. We kept these three as we foresaw your coming today. We give them as a gift for the honor and respect you have always shown our kind. We also offer it as a token that you and your mate will always be welcome and protected in our forest."

Harry and Mhor both bowed their heads and Harry said "Noble Firenze, you honor me with your words and actions. I accept your people's gift to us in the spirit in which it was given. I also offer myself as your people's champion to the humans should it become necessary again."

Firenze bowed and said "Now that the formalities are over Harry, why don't we help you harvest these beasts and completely eliminate their existence from this place."

Harry drew his wand and as a sign of respect asked Firenze "May I?"

Firenze nodded and Harry AKed all three of the large spiders. Mhor enlarged their trunk and started setting out the material bags and containers. The centaurs drew their knives and demonstrated their skills with them. It took at the most an hour and the spiders no longer existed except for in material bags and containers.

Harry asked "Firenze, we are most thankful for your help and gifts today. Does your tribe maintain a vault at Gringotts?"

"We did until the human ministry took it saying we had no rights to it. They claimed we were too primitive of a race to have need of it."

"I apologize on behalf of my race. I have always been treated with dignity and respect by your race unless there was just cause. Your gifts to us today make me want to reciprocate with your people. Does your tribe have a name?"

"Yes Harry, we are known as the Black Forest tribe."

Harry said "There is much we have harvested today that falls out of our wand making needs. My wife and I have decided we will sell those items in the rare potion ingredients market. I offer half of the proceeds to your people as I estimate we will earn several million galleons from this endeavor. What I propose is opening a new vault with ownership being shared by the Black Forest tribe and the Lady Potter-Black. (He got raised eyebrows by this.) This vault would be protected by Houses Potter and Black and therefore the Ministry would not dare touch it. While Lady Potter-Black's name is on the vault, it would be only as a trustee and we would set it up to where we could not access any of the funds without a personal approval from your elected leader. As our financial needs are well met for several lifetimes, this would not be a concern for you unless we conduct a joint business venture."

Firenze looked around at the other centaurs. When he had received a consensus of nods, he said "You honor us greatly with your offer. We foresaw that the Lord Potter-Black would come today and offer us an escape from our oppression. We will gladly accept your offer and protection. (He smiled.) Now, if business ventures are what you speak of, we might have a proposal for you."

Harry gave him a mischievous look and said "Go on."

"My people have lived in this forest for many years. Over that time, we have obtained a vast amount of potion ingredients and maybe even some of the material you seek for wand making. I would estimate we have fifty times the amount you recovered today maybe even more. We felt that we should collect any of the objects sought by wizards in an effort to discourage them from venturing into our home."

Harry was shocked and said "Firenze, your people do us a great honor by trusting us with this. I am deeply touched that you would put this much faith in me. I have to ask now if you will trust me a little bit more. This amount is way out of our ability to handle on our own. I do know someone, whom I trust completely, who could help us sell all this and gain us a fair price at the same time."

Ronan spoke for the first time. "Lord Potter-Black, we would require a name first."

Harry nodded to him and said "I think we could trust Lord Longbottom to help in this matter. His convictions of the treatment of other magical races equal my own. If we brought him in on this, I would gladly split my share with him therefore not reducing your share in the slightest."

Firenze looked around and again received a consensus. He said "Harry, Lord Longbottom is acceptable. We have watched him as we did you over the years and agree with your faith in him."

Harry nodded and said "Chuck"

Chuck popped in and Harry told him to go get Lord and Lady Longbottom at once and bring them back. He also told him what to tell Neville.

Chuck popped away and everyone sat back and waited. When Chuck arrived at Longbottom Manor, he asked to speak with the Lord of the House. When Neville arrived, Chuck bowed deeply and said "Forgive me Milord but I have message for you and was instructed to give it to you word for word."

Neville said "Okay?"

Chuck said "My Lord said to tell Nev to get off of Katie. He said to grab Katie and come with me. He has a once in a lifetime deal going down right now."

Neville asked "Where is this meeting?"

"Sir, it is deep within the Forbidden Forest. In answer to your next question, my lord and lady are in jeans and t shirts. They have been foraging in the forest for three days. Before you ask, it is for him to tell you what he has been doing."

Neville ran up the stairs and drug Katie out of bed. He said "We have been summoned by the Chosen One. He is conducting a business meeting in the Forbidden Forest in jeans and a t shirt along with his wife."

Katie laughed and said "Only Harry, I suppose we'd better get going then."

Five minutes later, they were dressed and running downstairs. Chuck grabbed their hands and popped them away. When they arrived, they were immediately embraced by Harry.

Harry said "Nev, I'm sorry for the rush but I have something I need you here for. Oh, and may I introduce you to my wife, Lady Mhor Potter-Black."

Katie and Neville both said "Morag?"

She smiled and said "Hey you two. It's been a long time. I go by Mhor these days. Now my husband failed to introduce our hosts. Lord and Lady Longbottom, may I introduce you to Firenze and the elders of his tribe."

Neville bowed to them and said "It is an honor to be in your presence again. I'm sorry if we seem a little out of sorts but when you grow up with Harry Potter and he says he needs you now, you never know what you are walking into. The only thing that stopped me from bringing an armed escort was being told it was a business meeting."

That comment received quite a few laughs and Harry just said "Hey now!" Mhor hugged him tightly.

She said "He now had a logical brain helping him so those situations don't happen as often."

With everyone in a good mood, they started talking business and it was decided that Neville could move the product through his apothecaries and ingredient supply business. Neville had taken some good advice from a certain friend and built his business with the help of free elves and family bound elves. The movement of the raw materials would be an easy task for his crews. It was decided that it would be a very beneficial arrangement for all parties involved and as an added protection; the trustees for the centaurs' vault would be the Ladies Potter-Black and Longbottom.

Harry conversed with Ronan for a few minutes and had another idea for that afternoon. He said "If I could have everyone's attention, after speaking with Ronan, he has told me of a secret back entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and I can get us in with my Parseltongue abilities. Now what I propose is we go render down the basilisk. With the skill demonstrated by the Black Forest tribe, I think it would be a matter of hours to take care of it. I offer it to the partnership we have just formed as an act of good faith of my desire for this to be successful. Neville, I would advise you to watch these men (He received a bow from Ronan that it was well taken.) and their skill with their blades. They possess an unmatched precision that I think could be useful in the future. In fact, I would like permission to portkey the creatures we need to have rendered to this location for addition to the partnership. All I ask is that my wife and I get enough of the material that can be used in my business for experimentation."

Ronan said "That would be satisfactory to us."

Neville said to Ronan "After this initial venture, you could call Jerry and make arrangements for any other items you wish for me to move for you."

He got a nod from Ronan.

Harry said "Well let's go see about a giant snake. Hopefully the stasis charm Dobby put on it held."

They got in through the back entrance easily and were amazed at the sight of the sixty five foot long snake. Everyone immediately set to work including Katie. They proceeded to harvest any and all parts of the Basilisk and were grateful that the stasis charm had held. They rendered the carcass completely down and carted away twenty trunks full of fangs, venom, hide, heart, and every other rare part that has been unavailable in the potions market for quite some time. Neville told Harry he would reserve the items he had requested for use in his wand making. With everyone working together, the task was completed in several hours. Neville called in his team of elves to haul the trunks away and introduced Jerry to Ronan, Firenze, and the elders who asked to shake their hands so that a friendship link would allow them to call him. Jerry made arrangements for his crew to come and pick up the centaurs' material on the next day.

The Potters and the Longbottoms made small talk on the way back to the clearing mainly about their years at Hogwarts. Neville had estimated that the proceeds from the sell of the basilisk parts alone would net them millions of galleons as they were some of the most rare parts on the market. When they reached the clearing, Firenze turned and said "Lords and Ladies Potter-Black and Longbottom, you honor us with your offer today."

Neville stepped forward and said "No Sir, the Black Forest tribe has honored us with its trust today. May we never give you reason to doubt that trust."

**HidingOut**

The centaurs all left and went back into the forest. Mhor turned to Neville and Katie and asked them to dinner that evening which was gratefully accepted. Mhor called for Dinky and asked her to prepare dinner for them and two guests tonight. A beaming Dinky said "Yes Ma'am" and happily popped away.

Neville and Katie were quite taken with Harry and Mhor's home. The cottage was very warm and inviting and just felt like a loving home. When they took a walk along the beach, they fell in love with the beauty of the place.

Over dinner, Harry finally said "Well Neville, you know I've always loved Katie but let me say I never would have thought she would be the type to jump right in and cut up a giant snake."

Katie said "That was a first for me. And even though it was somewhat nasty, I go where my husband goes."

Harry laughed "Mhor put it a little differently than that but with the same meaning. Nev, we are two lucky blokes to have the wives we do and how they even look 'hot' while joining in on some of the things we do."

Neville laughed and said "We are much like you and Mhor; we do everything together as she is my best friend. And yeah, you are right about the 'hot' part. To be quite honest, she has been pushing me to get closer to you as she somehow seems to think I am more adventurous when you are around. "

Harry and the girls laughed at this and said "Well Lady Longbottom, if it is adventure you seek, then maybe I have a proposition for you. My lovely wife and I have decided it is time to start a family. (Neville shyly muttered 'us too') Our plan right now is to travel the world, make contacts, and collect core material and exotic woods. We have developed a system for transport where when we get a full load, we place it in an expanded trunk and portkey it back home. Chuck is on hand to sort and store all the material. While we are traveling, we have a seven compartment trunk with an apartment to use as living quarters. I can show you our design if you want. Now, what I am trying to say is that Mhor and I would love it if you joined us for some of these trips. We plan on hitting every continent to collect material and make contacts for future needs."

Mhor added "What my husband failed to mention is that we will going out on two week trips and depending on what we find they could last up to a month. We wanted to do this before we started having children. Our goal is to collect enough for us to have wood and core material to last us for several years. I don't want to travel with young children and my husband has also expressed his desire to be at home with his family."

Katie looked at her husband and after a nod said "I don't know about the whole world tour but we would definitely like to join you for at least part of it."

Neville added "I have an idea; I know we have separate businesses and even though our 'partnership' is geared to help the centaurs, I think that if we were to enlarge our supplier contacts, we could also use my retrieval network to provide you your needs in the future. If we work this right, neither of us would have to travel very often to obtain supplies."

Katie said "This idea is sounding better all the time. Harry, you know you've always been like a brother to me and I love you. From what I've seen, you couldn't have picked a better partner for you in life. We are much alike in that we don't associate with anyone other than my parents. While I love my husband and parents dearly, I miss having friends. Since we shared many of the same friends, we are in the same situation as you for we no longer trust them enough to spend time with them. Well crap, what I'm trying to say is we would love to travel with you some but more than anything, when the world tour is over, we would love to spend time with you both."

Mhor said "Yes, I think it would be very nice to have friends again that are our own age. Who knows, after the letter, you may even help me talk Harry into taking back some of his seats so he can join you in tearing up the Wizengamot."

Neville said "I would love for you to come back. Those old goats are too set in their ways to change. It would be nice to have another voice of reason along with someone else there to smack those idiots around."

Harry laughed and replied "Maybe in time my friend. There would first have to be a Minister worth supporting."

They talked for a few more hours with the Longbottoms being given a tour of their workshop. Neville expressed an interest in coming out to 'play' with Harry in the shop and even help with the experiments. His knowledge of plants and the properties of different material would be quite useful. Katie informed them that they were planning to be tested at the ICW for their potions masteries along with several other masteries that they held in England in about a week.

**HidingOut**

Harry and Mhor decided to go and be tested at the same time as some of their techniques for wands and brooms required a potions master's license. The Longbottoms and Potters had a truly good time in Geneva and enjoyed spending more time together. At the end of the testing, Mhor aced the test while Harry didn't. Neville and Katie also passed with flying colors. Harry was certified as a capable potion brewer but not good enough to be a master. Harry was excited for his wife as it added yet another mastery to help them achieve their plan for the future. Neville and Katie were planning on coming back for more exams as the years went on. They felt it would serve them well as they expanded their business.

After bidding each other good bye and a round of hugs, Harry and Mhor left to start their collection efforts in Europe. They spent two weeks traveling about and making numerous contacts for both them and the Longbottoms. During their trip through Europe, they managed to portkey five loaded trunks back to the cottage.

**HidingOut**

The Potters were still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage which still meant long nights in bed. It wasn't really a problem for them as they were staying in their trunk in the scattered magical and normal forests and would go in at dark. Over the course of their two weeks in Europe, they had visited old friends such as Victor Krum and Gabrielle Delacour. They were given a very warm welcome from Gabby and she even went on to say that she considered Harry her older brother after the lake incident. Harry also learned that Jean Claude (Gabby's father) had died during the war due to injuries he obtained at the hand of Death Eaters.

After the visit had lasted a couple hours, Gabby shyly asked "Harry, I am getting married in six months. Would you do me the honor of walking me down the aisle since you are my closest male relative?"

Harry hugged her and said "Of course I will Gabby, I would be most honored. But shouldn't Bill be the one to do it?"

Gabrielle snorted and said "Harry, he may be my brother in law but you are my brother in my heart and always will be. I have talked with Fleur and she was going to send you a letter through Lord Longbottom. She also felt it would be a further insult to House Weasley for me to ask you and fully supported the idea."

Harry frowned and was about to say something when Mhor touched his arm.

Gabby realized what she had said "No Harry, I don't want to use you. I asked out of the love I have for you. Since Papa cannot be here, there is no one else I would rather have stand with me."

Harry nodded and they hugged. She gave Mhor the details of the wedding as she couldn't trust a mere man to remember such things. They said their farewells with the promise to get together soon. They met Victor at a café in Bulgaria where they got caught up on each other's life. Victor was disappointed in the choices Hermione had made in her life. Victor told Harry that he had always felt that things couldn't work between him and Hermione because of her feelings for Harry. To find out she married the weasel was too much for him to handle. They left not long after Harry said he would hopefully be contacting him within the next few years with a proposition.

Victor responded "I look forward to it. I will always have time for a friend."

The visits added to the rapidly growing contact list and their supply of rare core materials. Gabrielle had even transformed into her avian form and allowed Harry to have a few feathers along with some tears. She also shot a fireball into a container they had created to maintain the spell. As far as he knew, none of these things had ever been used before and he wanted to experiment with them and see what kind of results he would get. Harry was pretty sure that these things would only work for someone who shared a bond with Gabby but the experiments would be enlightening and educational.

**HidingOut**

Harry and Mhor decided to go home for a few days before they tried to tackle Asia. Even though they were comfortable in their apartment in the trunk, it was always good to sleep in your own bed. The night of their arrival home, they caught up with Chuck and Dinky and then asked Chuck to go inform Monty and Maddy that they were home for a few days. Harry woke to find Mhor missing from their bed. He heard the sounds of her throwing up in the bathroom and quickly entered to help in any way. He got a cool washcloth and laid it against her forehead and pulled her hair back out of the way.

In a concerned voice he asked "Baby, are you okay?"

She responded "I guess, my stomach was just upset. It must have been all the different foods we have been eating lately finally catching up to me."

He went and got her a stomach settling potion and gave it to her. She quickly felt better and they got ready for the day. They didn't really have anything planned so while Mhor wrote some letters, Harry went out to the shop for a bit. Chuck had given Mhor a note saying that her parent's schedules were full today but that they would visit tomorrow.

The next morning was a repeat of the previous one and Harry suggested they go to a healer so she could be checked out. Mhor was arguing against it when her parents arrived. Harry was getting no where with Mhor when her parents came into their room at Harry's request. He gave Maddy a pleading look and told her what was going on. Mum MacDougal took over the argument and was soon dragging Mhor off to the healer. Although she was fairly sure what the diagnosis would be, it never hurt to have it checked out.

Harry and Monty sat and chatted over a cup of coffee. Harry told their adventures up to this point and caught up on his in-laws life since they had started their travels. It was a couple hours later that Maddy and Mhor got back home. Both were smiling and Mhor ran to Harry and gave him a fierce hug. She pushed him back down in his chair and climbed in his lap.

Harry asked "So, what did the healer have to say?"

Mhor gave him a beautiful smile and said "Well Harry, it seems that all our practice finally worked. You are going to be a daddy."

Harry's eyes glazed over and he said "We…we…you're pregnant?"

"Yes baby I am. Oh Harry, I am so happy. This is what we both wanted."

He gave her a passionate kiss and said "Yes my love, more than anything."

The four of them all wound up in a hug and Harry called in Chuck and Dinky to share the news. They were overjoyed at the news and also joined in on the hug. They celebrated until well in the afternoon and then shared dinner. At dinner the topic of the collecting tours came up.

Harry said "Well, I think Chuck and I could go and finish it up. I really don't want to drag my pregnant wife all over the world and risk her or the baby."

Mhor snapped out "I don't think so! I will be going with you. We always said we were in all this together. If I go with you, we will get done much quicker. I will not be separated from you for any reason."

"But the baby." Monty and Maddy kept out of this one. They knew their kids would have to work it out for themselves.

"Harry James Potter (He thought 'Oh Crap') women have been getting pregnant for a very long time. We are not disabled during this time so don't you dare act like I am. I WILL take the precautions to keep OUR baby safe. BUT I AM GOING WITH YOU!"

"Love, I'm sorry but I just want to keep you and the baby safe."

"I understand that Harry but the healer said I could travel for about three more months. Now, I will not be handling any of the core material and probably some of the wood but I will be there with you to help and to keep you out of trouble."

Harry knew he had lost and said "Yes dear."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own or make money from Harry Potter.**

**AN: This had truly been a fun story to write. I really appreciate the reviews and encouragement. **

**Chapter 5**

The conversation that night continued although somewhat subdued. Monty and Maddy had expressed their desire that they be careful in their travels and requested a way to keep in touch. They knew better than to try and talk Mhor out of going once she had made up her mind. They also saw the fierce love and protectiveness the kids had for each other and knew they would watch out for each other. Dinky was a different matter altogether. She had overheard the conversation and became distraught. She feared for Mhor and the baby's safety and decided to make her opinion known as Harry and Mhor had told her it would always be welcome.

Dinky stormed onto the room and was so upset that she reverted back to her slave form of speech. "Mistress, yous not be going unless yous be taking Dinky to watch over you and the baby. Master bes a bad man for letting Mistress go."

Mhor got down on her knees and hugged Dinky. She said "Dinky, I was going to ask you to come with us so we would be well taken care of."

Dinky blinked back a tear. "I is sorry Mistress but it's been a long time since I had children to care for. I is looking forward to there being little ones around."

"Me too Dinky and I promise to be careful. If it will make you feel better, you and Chuck can join us and we will home even sooner."

They talked some more and decided that Wobby could handle both houses while they were away. Chuck called Wobby and gave him his instructions. Harry watched as they did some weird elf thing and shared knowledge. Once it was done, Wobby knew exactly what to do with the trunks that would arrive in the shop and how to store the contents.

Harry sat back the rest of that evening in thought. He had been thinking of a way of keeping in touch with the MacDougals and the Longbottoms and even having another way for the Black Forest tribe to get in touch with them. With him and Mhor having such a firm grounding in the normal world, he started planning a magical version of the cell phone.

Thanks to Sirius, he was quite familiar with the two way mirrors but was also well aware of their limited range. He talked with Mhor about it and got her brilliant mind working on the solution as well.

The next morning after Mhor's morning sickness faded, they went to an antique shop in Aberdeen to look for old telephones. The ones they found in there were truly antiques which were the old boxes with a crank and an earpiece hanging off the side. They bought one just for the novelty of it to hang in the cottage as it would look right at home there. They then went to a junk shop and found more of what they were looking for. The phones they wanted were the old type with a plain old ear and mouthpiece connected by a wire to a base with a rotary dial. They were interested in these as the electronics in the hand set were minimal. The junk shop had ten of these and they bought all of them.

Once they got back home, Harry took apart the handset of the first one and removed all the wires. Harry then transfigured the handset a little adding ten buttons to it. The buttons were labeled with names such as Potter, Longbottom, MacDougal, Black Forest, and then several blank ones. Harry and Mhor's would be the master phone that as they added names would update the other phones. Mhor then set about casting protean charms to link the phones. Harry then overpowered a communication charm they had learned in their quest for their masteries which would allow communication even from the other side of the world.

Once they completed all the phones, they placed one in the shop, the house, and the trunk. Mhor added a couple more touches to the phones. One was a link to the old base that would cause it to ring for an incoming call and the other was a recording device that you could leave messages on. Since the phones were magical, Harry keyed the phones to their blood. The master phone would require a drop of blood on each of the buttons to key it to that user. When the phones were delivered the next day, the blood drops were applied to the master phone and then to the phones the others were being given to key it to them. At this point the phones were linked and they could contact each other.

**HidingOut"

After a few days rest, they took off for India and had a whirlwind tour of the Asian continent before they moved on to Australia. On this trip, Harry and Mhor taught Chuck and Dinky just what they were looking for and with their special elf abilities, they sped the process up dramatically. The trip across Australia managed to take three days and before they knew it, they were conducting their own Island Hopping campaign through the Pacific Islands. The islands were loaded with rare woods that Harry was itching to experiment with.

The local shaman for a group of islands was a wealth of knowledge and very helpful in acquiring rare core material wood. With his help, they obtained several rare magical creatures and placed them in several trunks under stasis. They were also several unheard of sea creatures used that could provide potent core material and potion ingredients. After a quick phone call, Harry portkeyed the creatures to the Black Forest tribe for rendering. Harry wouldn't let Mhor anywhere near the creatures as he didn't want her to expose herself or the baby. It benefitted them by saving time and adding to the partnership as well. In some cases, Harry used his Parseltongue ability to obtain the venom he wanted as most were from snake or serpents. These were sent along to Neville for potion ingredients.

The MacDougals called every evening to check on them and enjoyed their phone visits. Their two week journey had stretched into a month as they gathered contacts and materials. At present, a month and a half had passed since they found out that Mhor was pregnant and they were quickly running out of time. After a few calls to Neville and Katie, they decided to head home for a few days before they tackled the Americas.

After a few days rest, they were about to head back out when Neville informed them that they would like to join them on this leg of their journey. Neville had earned his Herbology mastery by this time and was eager to join them in the Amazon Rain Forest. They spent two weeks gathering all kinds of material and while Harry and Mhor had collected about five trunks of material and portkeyed them back, Neville and Katie had doubled that between their special order greenhouse trunks and potions ingredients storage. They made some good contacts there as well with the magical population and learned quite a bit about how the locals used certain ingredients. The centaurs had even been sent several creatures to render that they felt had potential. The two weeks went by too quickly and while the friendships had deepened, none of them were ready for the trip to end when it came time for Neville and Katie to return to England.

Neville asked "So where are you off to next?"

Harry said "I think Central America first. I want to check out the Aztec ruins there on a hunch. Then I think we will work our way across the U.S. before heading home."

Mhor said "We are down to about three weeks now before I can't do this for a while."

Katie said "With the contacts we have made, none of us should have to travel for quite a while. I have had some ideas while we were out here with you and if it works out; your husband will be able to play in your shop while mine plays in his greenhouse. When you get back, we will go over the details and see what we can do."

Harry elbowed Neville and said "It's nice being married to brilliant yet 'hot' witches."

Neville grinned and said "Yeah it is."

They parted after round of hugs and left for their separate destinations.

**HidingOut**

Harry had read about the Aztec society and their obsession with the illusive firebird. They were amazed when they discovered it was the home of the fabled Phoenixes. After the first night, on a hunch, Harry called for Fawkes who instantly appeared. As they had been close in the past, they shared a conversation mentally and Harry learned that this was their homeland. Being friends with Fawkes was a huge benefit for them as they soon had more Phoenix feathers and tears than they could ever hope for. Fawkes had told Harry that their home was constantly being encroached upon by other magical creatures and that in many cases, fights would break out. It took no time for Harry and Chuck to make the rounds of the battle sites to collect material. They ended up with claws, talons, bone, feathers, scales and heartstrings from a variety of magical creatures. They had even come away with the heartstring and scales from ten different varieties of dragons. To their shock, there was even a perfectly preserved Nundu which they sent to the centaurs. After a week, Harry bid goodbye to Fawkes and thanked him for all the help. Before they could leave, Fawkes and several other phoenixes landed on Harry and Mhor's arms and asked permission. Once they agreed, each of the noble birds nipped their hands and then cried some tears to heal the wound. Fawkes explained that if they were ever needed for anything, all they had to do was call through the friendship bond they now shared.

Mhor said "Thank you all, we are deeply honored."

**HidingOut**

Harry took inventory of all they had gathered and quickly decided they were almost done. He wanted to make a quick trip through the US gathering more wood for wands and broom. Chuck and Dinky were more than ready to go back home and started collecting the woods at a furious pace. They soon had ten more trunks filled with all different kinds of wood found in the U.S. Harry requested two more stops. The first was in the mountains of Colorado; Harry wanted some sample of Aspen trees as he had heard they were of a light weight but very sturdy wood. He thought they might be a good wood for a broom. The last stop was in the Everglades of Florida to collect some cypress. He was interested in the properties of this wood as the books he had bought on the techniques of the American wand crafters had it highly rated.

They made a quick stop in the Caribbean on the way back to buy some core material from a local voodoo priestess they had met on their honeymoon. Mhor gave her husband a pleading look as she brought ten books that had caught her interest to the counter. Harry just laughed and said "Like I would tell you no." he turned to the priestess and said "I think we would like those as well."

Their time had finally run out and Harry had to get Mhor back home. She said "We never made it to Africa. Why don't we extend our trip two more weeks and be completely done with it?"

After receiving a glare from Dinky, Harry said "No love, I made a promise to your parents and will bring you back home. Besides, if I agreed to that, Dinky would have my hide."

Mhor looked at the glaring Dinky and laughed "I think you are right my love."

The collecting trip was finally over and they all took a portkey back to Scotland after traveling for close to two months. Mhor called her parents and informed them that they were finally home to their relief. Wobby helped the worn out travelers get unpacked and settled. He cooked a meal for them and then returned to Grimmauld place.

**HidingOut**

The MacDougals visited the next day to see for themselves that their kids were fine. Harry led Monty out to the workshop where he showed him the more than thirty trunks they had collected in their travels. Harry's shop was stacked full of the collected wand and broom wood. Monty was impressed by the measures he was taking to start this business until he heard that it was really just a hobby for them to play with. Harry's real business was managing his investment portfolio and was increasing its worth constantly through his investment choices.

Harry spent the next month stacking up his wood to start the drying out process. He had learned that it took at least six months for wood to dry out before it was useable in wands or brooms. He and Chuck ended up constructing another building just to house the wood. When they had finished the building, Harry had an idea and started going through his library. As research was Mhor's strong point, he enlisted her help. It took them about a week but they had found a way to turn the building into a time dilation chamber. They spent time carving two sets of runes on the four walls and roof of the building. When one set of the runes were activated, time would be accelerated greatly in the house at the rate of one outside day equaling a month. The wood needed to dry naturally for use in wand and broom crafting or they would be weak. The second set of runes would activate a stasis field that would keep the wood well preserved.

As he waited for the wood to dry, Harry joined Monty, Maddy, and Mhor on the shopping trip for the baby nursery. Maddy had waited for three months and would not be denied any longer on her countdown to becoming a grandmother. Mhor wasn't allowed to help in the workshop due to some of the core materials involved so she wanted her own project as well. She chose to decorate and furnish it the nursery and was quite often joined by Maddy and on occasion Katie. Mhor and Maddy used the nursery as an excuse to visit London on several shopping trips. They would often meet up with Katie for lunch and socializing. On one such trip, Mhor drug him with her so that she could be keyed into the wards on Grimmauld Place which turned out to be more incredible than they could have imagined. They thought it was nice but wasn't home for them and would be used as it was intended. This would be used as the formal seat of the House of Black.

**HidingOut**

Neville and Katie, along with their elfin crew, had taken up the collection tour and completed Africa in one week. It was actually a training exercise for an idea Katie had developed. They collected quite a bit and Neville was excited over their finds.

Katie called Mhor and asked if they could drop by for a visit and a business discussion. Mhor responded "Oh please do, I've missed you."

Neville and Katie popped in and since it was a nice day, they sat out in the pagoda that overlooked the beach. Harry had grown bored one day while waiting for the wood to dry and had built it. It had quickly become their favorite place to sit on pleasant days.

While sipping tea, Neville and Katie filled them on their adventures.

Katie finally couldn't keep it in anymore and blurted out "I'm pregnant."

After hugs and congratulations, they talked a bit of the upcoming additions to their families until Neville changed the direction of the discussion. He said "Our trip to Africa was a dual mission. Firstly to make contact and gather material and secondly to train Jerry and a team he developed in gathering techniques and what to look for."

Katie added "The mission was successful on both counts."

Neville then said "What my brilliant wife has failed to mention was that this was all her idea. She came up with it after we realized that we shared your desire to be home with our children and not have to go out on gathering tours."

Katie said "We even have followed your lead in another area. We expanded the partnership to include the house elves."

Harry smiled and nodded. Mhor grew more interested.

Neville said "I will apologize for not asking you about this but through our talks I knew that money or our share was not a concern of yours in this venture."

Mhor said "You are quite right, it was about helping the centaurs, but I can tell you have more to add to it."

Katie said "Well, it worked out better than we ever expected. The Goblins became interested on our little venture and Grimlock requested a meeting. They offered to buy into the partnership and add their collection and business management skills into the process. Their suggestion was that all five parties each have an equal ownership."

Harry smiled and said "Go on, we are listening."

Neville said "As part of the partnership, my apothecaries and potion supply business would be bought out by the partnership for a substantial sum and managed by the Goblins while we would still have our twenty percent ownership in the partnership. We would be given greatly reduced prices on whatever ingredients we obtained from the partnership once it was completely formed. As of now, the ingredients we have collected are ours to do with as we see fit. We can pick the items we want and leave the rest for the partnership."

Mhor frowned and said "I'm not so sure anymore."

Katie spoke up "Mhor, if you sign off on this, we will be making more than we ever thought possible. With the addition of the elves and Goblins, the plan is to serve the global market. I'm sorry Harry but they want to use our names to market this venture. Yours and even Neville's fame carries a lot of weight in the wizarding world but at least, it will be done with your agreement and done to benefit you and your family. Our main role in the partnership is to still offer the protective status just as before but we would also serve in an advisory capacity."

Harry said "You make good points Katie. If it were anyone but you and Neville asking, it would be an automatic no. If my wife agrees to this deal, I will too. She is the smart one after all."

Neville said "Before you answer, there are certain benefits to this. Firstly except for the occasional trip to London, we will be home where we want to be. Secondly, we will be making more money than we would have before with less work and we would have first choice of ingredients and materials. Thirdly, Harry and I would be able to do what we want most in this world, he could play in his shop while I played on my greenhouse and you are quite aware of the good moods we are in when doing this."

Harry wiggled his eyebrows at Mhor and said "Honey, just think, I would be home to chase you all over the house."

She laughed and said "Yes but would that really be a benefit?"

Harry pouted at her at the others' laughing. She finally said "To be quite honest, it sounds wonderful and I agree on one condition."

Harry said "Name it."

Mhor smiled and said "This will affect you too Neville. (He nodded) I have really come to love you both and want you close by so we can raise our children together. There is a large section of land for sale bordering us to the north. Please buy it and build a home there."

Katie's eyes glistened and said "We would like nothing better and were going to ask you if you would be okay with it. We love it here and the warmth your home offers and want the same thing. My husband needs quite a bit of room for his greenhouses and I would like to build a compound on the border of our properties to house a potions lab for Mhor and me along with a common area for us to meet, hang out, and play together."

Mhor got up and hugged Katie. All she could really get out was "That sounds really nice."

**HidingOut**

The next six months were quite eventful as the partnership was formalized and eventually transformed into the Phoenix Conglomerate. The name Phoenix was chosen as a symbol of the magical races rising out of the ashes of their oppression. Any opposition quickly faded once it was learned that the conglomerate had the full support and protection of Harry Potter-Black and Neville Longbottom.

Neville and Katie had bought the land and built their home there. They had put their hearts into the home and had a home they were proud of. Much like Harry and Mhor's cottage, it had a warm and comfortable atmosphere to it. Neville went on to build his greenhouses as they were quite large to house the plants he had collected over the past year. Harry and Mhor joined their friends in helping charm the greenhouses for different environments. They went on to build the potions lab and common area soon after. With the imminent arrival of children, Harry and Neville created a playground like no other.

Those six months were equally frustrating and exciting for Harry. He spent months experimenting with his broom design before he caught a break. He had sent Chuck out to buy one of each of the five top brooms in the world. Of course the Firebolt and Nimbus but he had found three more broom companies in the U.S. that created brooms rated as high. As he studied these high performance Quidditch brooms, he sent Chuck back out to get him some of the racing brooms offered by the American companies. Harry created his own diagnostic spell and quickly learned how they were made and the enchantments on them.

He took notes on all the broom and them started creating the one he felt could top them all. He had used the aspen branches to create the shaft of the broom and topped it off with willow twigs for the tail. He wanted his broom to be very responsive to its rider and would test them much like he would test for wand creation. Since he was his test subject, his test broom was made from aspen and had a core of phoenix feathers and tears. After studying the enchantments on the other brooms, he created some of his own which he felt would be an improvement over the other brooms. His plans were to give the broom a magical core which connected it to the rider. He thought that this would enhance to performance of the broom and as it hadn't been used in the other models. He went for his first test flight which turned out to be a disappointment.

When he returned to his shop, Dinky popped in and said "Yous must come Harry. Mistress is in labor."

**HidingOut**

Harry allowed her to pop him to Mhor as he would have probably splinched himself at this point. He quickly cleaned up and they took a portkey to the healer. Chuck had notified the rest of the family and Harry was soon joined by Monty and Maddy along with Neville and a very pregnant Katie. The healer called him in after Mhor had been prepped.

Harry ran to her and kissed her forehead "I'm right here baby."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly as a contraction hit.

Mhor shouted "You're darn right you'd better be here. You caused this."

Harry smiled at her as the contraction ended. He kissed her forehead again "Well sweetie, I did help get you like this so it's only right I'm here now."

She smiled up at him and said "I love you Harry." Then an even worse contraction hit and she screamed "But if you ever do this to me again, I will remove your bits."

That one actually scared Harry until he was reassured by the healer that it was quite normal. Not knowing what to do, he stayed put and held his wife's hand, enduring the curses and offering apologies throughout the five hour delivery.

Once it was all over, Lily Madeline Potter-Black was sleeping in her daddy's arms as they tended to Mhor. She watched as Harry cradled his daughter in his arms and knew that life at this point was perfect. Once she was cleaned up, Harry was led back over to Mhor who said with a tired smile "Oh sure, I do all the work and you get to hold the results. Now bring her here love so I can see our beautiful daughter."

He placed Lily Madeline in her arms and curled up next to them. As he watched mother and daughter he quietly whispered "Thank you my love, I love you so much."

She kissed him and said "No my love, thank you."

After a quick visit by the family, the young couple was left with their new bundle of joy. They brought Lily home the next day to a welcome home party in their honor. Everyone took turns holding the new addition to the family.

Neville quietly asked "How was it Harry?"

Harry whispered back "Bloody scary mate, just remember, don't leave and keep telling her how much you love her and how sorry you are for causing this. It is the only way you will survive."

Neville gulped.

**HidingOut**

A few weeks later when Mhor was recovered, Harry went back to work on his broom. He spent the next three months testing and adjusting the charms on the broom. He tweaked and flew, then repeated the process countless times before he felt he had it right.

In the meantime, Neville and Katie's son had come along and was welcomed much like Lily had been but with the addition of Katie's parents. Neville proudly introduced Franklin Alexander Longbottom to his family named after both their fathers. After a few weeks rest, Katie and Mhor could always be found out walking with the children or sitting in the common area just enjoying the life they now had.

Another month had passed and the broom had passed every test he could give it. He went to find Mhor and found her with Katie in the common area. He came up to her and gave her a very passionate kiss.

She smiled and said "Well Mr. Potter, just what was that for?"

With an excited gleam in his eye he said "Well Mrs. Potter, I wanted to tell you that I need to make a quick trip."

Mhor looked at him confused. "And just where are you going?"

Harry smiled and kissed her again "To get Victor of course."

Mhor jumped in his arms and screamed excitedly. "Is it ready?"

"I think so, but I need to test against someone that can beat me, no offense Katie."

"None taken and if this broom does what you say it does, I can think of no one better than Victor to test it against."

Harry portkeyed to Victor's house and was invited in. After they shook hands, Harry said "Victor, do you remember that proposal I mentioned a year ago?"

Victor said "Yeah"

Harry said "My friend, I think I have created the ultimate broom and it out performs my firebolt hands down. If you have the time, I would really appreciate it if you would come and fly against me with that overpowered firebolt of yours."

Victor smiled and said "A worthy challenge my friend, I would love to but it will cost you."

Harry frowned and Victor laughed "Not much my friend, just a nice relaxing dinner with my friend and his wife and maybe the first production model if it is as good as you say it is."

Harry smiled and said "Deal."

Victor jumped up and grabbed his firebolt and ran outside with Harry. They were laughing at their excitement when the portkey was activated and were still laughing as they approached the shop. They were greeted by Mhor and Lily along with Neville, Katie, and Franklin. Harry ran inside as Mhor introduced Victor to Lily and the Longbottoms.

The group strolled to the testing ground which had all kinds of obstacles in it. Victor was examining Harry's broom and said "The broom has a nice profile. It is much more streamlined than the others. (He held it for a minute.) It is also very light. Is it equally strong as the firebolt?"

Harry and Mhor laughed "Victor, my husband crashed that very same broom no less that fifty times. And before you ask, he crashed during Wronski Feints and other suicidal moves as he wouldn't know what it was capable of if he didn't perform them."

Victor said "Impressive, will that be part of guarantee? As close to indestructible as possible."

Harry said "Good point, and for what I'm planning on charging for these brooms, I can afford to replace one or two if necessary."

Victor asked "How much are you planning on charging?"

"That depends."

"On?"

Harry laughed and said "On whether or not I kick your tail today."

Victor laughed and said "Let's do it then."

They launched in the air and Victor ran them through every test he could think of. Harry's new broom outmatched the firebolt in every test. Once they landed, Victor said "I think you have done it my friend. You had better patent your process so no one can copy it. Now how much are you going to charge for it? When can you make me one? What will you call the broom? AND what are you calling your broom company?"

Harry laughed and said "In reverse order, I think Bolt Brooms would be appropriate and this model is called the lightning."

Victor looked confused while Mhor, Neville, and Katie grinned. Victor finally said "I don't get it."

Harry pulled aside his hair to show his scar and laughed. Victor smiled and said "AH, good one my friend, it clearly has your name on it without actually having your name on it. I like it. You could just carve a lightning blot in it much like that Nike swoosh thing."

Harry said "These brooms will be very rare as they will always be handcrafted and never made on a production line. I already have the patents pending on my design and as a rule I will charge at least ten times the price of the highest level production models. My wife and I only work when we want to and so I can be very selective about whom I work for."

Victor said "You must earn a living my friend."

Mhor laughed and said "Victor, we don't mean to laugh but we have worked hard for the last year to ensure our financial security for many generations. We all have decided on a simple life where we can raise our families in peace especially after the war. My husband has a passion for crafting brooms and wands but doesn't do it to provide for us. He does it because he has fun doing it"

Victor said "I envy you. Maybe one day I too will have that peace."

Harry said "You are always welcome here my friend. Now about your broom, follow me into the shop and we will conduct a few tests. I think I could have it ready for you within the month. I may need you to come here for a few days while we fine tune it to you."

They had an enjoyable dinner that night and sat and talked as friends late into the night. The Potters learned that Victor was engaged but had been keeping it secret to keep the press away from her. They told him they would love to meet her and to bring her back with him in a few weeks.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry Potter or make any money off of it. It belongs to JK.**

**AN: I appreciate the encouragement and reviews. I'm sorry but all things must come to an end and my next chapter will be the epilogue and tidying up a few loose ends. I have enjoyed writing this and I really am thankful you felt it worthy enough to continue reading.**

**Chapter 6**

Victor returned three weeks later accompanied by his fiancé. Tatiana immediately felt at ease with the warm and inviting manner in which she was treated. She noticed how Victor dropped his public persona around these people and knew it was safe for her too as well. In three years of dating in secret, she had never seen him drop his walls around anyone but her. The trust he gave to these friends of his made her feel safe with them and she too started dropping her guard. Tatiana gravitated toward the girls and their babies as she longed for the day that she and Victor would start a family. Tat as she asked to be called spent a lot of time with Mhor and Katie and was got along with the two of them famously.

The boys ran off and spent the afternoon tweaking Victor's broom so that it was a perfect match for him. The girls watched from the porch as the boys went back and forth making adjustments. Finally Harry had his broom in hand and yelled to Mhor "Hey Baby, I think we got it, you want to watch?"

The girls jumped up, grabbed the babies and followed their men out to the testing ground.

Mhor was playing with Lily and asked "Are you ready to see if your daddy lives to fly another day?"

Lily giggled and cooed back at her.

Tat finally asked "Victor has been really excited about this broom. You know men; I mean it's just another fast broom."

Katie and Mhor both turned to Tat and Katie said "No Tat, this is like no other broom you have ever seen. I played with Harry for years and even tried his Firebolt on occasion. Let me just tell you that I would never get on this thing. There are only two men I know who could handle this thing without getting killed and they are walking in front of us."

Tat asked "If Harry is so good, why doesn't he play anymore?"

Mhor said "Harry signed with a team right out of school. They knew how hard he played and wouldn't take him off the bench for fear of him getting hurt. They kept him on the bench just to sell tickets. After one season, he quit and hasn't played since."

Tat said "That is so wrong."

Katie said "I think if he would have been allowed to play, he and Victor would have been given the chance they always wanted. They could have played against each other."

Tat asked "So Harry sees Victor as a rival?"

Mhor laughed and said "Heavens no, Harry considers Victor one of his closest friends and that is saying a lot. But Harry is nothing but if not competitive."

Tat said "Victor as well."

Katie said "Hush you two, here they go."

Harry and Victor took off and put the brooms through their paces. On their final pass, both were whooping in joy at the performance of the broom. Mhor saw Harry point out over the water and Victor nod. They pushed the brooms to full acceleration and were gone in a blur. They sped off so fast that all you saw was a streak of blue and red matching the shirts they wore.

Tat's jaw fell open and said "Sweet Mother of Merlin."

Mhor calmly said "I think that is the first time he tested that."

Katie giggled and said "You know, that reminds me of those times in the movie Star Trek when the Enterprise went into warp."

Mhor said "Yep"

Tat finally said "Um…what is this Star Track and how do you warp an enterprise?"

Mhor and Katie giggled. Katie put her arm around Tat's shoulder and said "I think it is time we corrupted another pure blood with the evil muggle ways."

Neville heard them and came up behind them laughing. He said "Don't be scared Tat. I think you will enjoy it."

A few minutes later, Harry and Victor landed and were rewarded with laughter. Their hair had been blown back and was sticking straight out behind them. Harry was grabbed in a hug by Victor and told "That was the most awesome broom I have ever ridden. Thank you Harry."

"You are welcome, and before you say anything. That broom is yours. No strings, no money, just my way of saying thank you for always being there for me."

After that, if there were any walls or barriers left between any of them, they crumbled. Victor and Tat extended their visit for another week and had a fantastic time. They saw for the first time what they truly wanted for their future together.

They were all out at the common area one evening just enjoying the sound of the surf and drinking butterbeer. Dinky had already came and took Lily to bed as Honey had taken Frank back to the Longbottom house. As they sat around talking Victor got really serious for a few minutes.

He said "I wanted you to know that my contract expires after two more seasons. Tat and I had debated me playing a few years after that but after being here with you, I don't think I can do it. I can honestly say that I lost my love for the game several years ago. When I saw what they had done to Harry, and how I would never get to play against him, I just started going through the motions as I knew there would never be anyone I really cared to fly against."

Harry stood and placed a hand on his shoulder. He said "That's why I left. If I wouldn't be given the chance to compete, there was nothing for me."

Victor nodded and said "All I have done these last few years is make them pay me more to stay. My endorsement deal with Firebolt lasts through the end of the season in two years. With that money, I will have earned enough for Tat and me to raise a family in peace."

Harry said "Then that is what you must do. You know I want you to do what is best for your future."

Victor said "Harry, we understand each other better than most. We both know what it has cost us over the years by people using us. I guess what I'm trying to say is that my endorsement contract only lasts through the regular season. They won't and don't pay me to use their broom in the World Cup. I was hoping you would agree to me unveiling the Lightning during the World Cup of my retirement year and going out with a bang on an unbeatable broom."

Harry laughed and said "Tat, make sure he practices on it. In fact you two come here do to it. I don't want to see Victor killed on the world's fastest broom just as he is about to retire."

Everyone laughed at that.

**HidingOut**

The summer before his final season, Victor and Tat were married in a private ceremony where Harry was asked to stand with Victor. The only people other than the bride and groom's immediate family were the Potters and the Longbottoms. A bouncing Lily and Frank both ran up and hugged their Unca Vic and AunTat at the end of the ceremony. Mhor stood holding her newborn son James Cedric Potter-Black while Katie was holding her newborn daughter Sarah Alice Longbottom.

Victor kept his word at the end of the season. The unveiling of the Lightning took the World Cup by storm. Many of the other players came to check out his broom and ask about it. The first time he fully accelerated, the crowd became quiet and the players just stopped and watched. The other seeker never stood a chance. Victor had the time of his life as he finished his career with no losses in the cup season. When asked about the broom. Victor replied "This broom was an act of love by one of my closest friends. All I can say about how to get one is to alter a familiar saying to us all. In this case though 'The Broom Crafter chooses the rider', which means getting one of these brooms is by invitation only and I only know of two ever being made at this point. In my opinion, the crafter of this broom and me are the only two flyers in the world qualified to fly the Lightning."

Victor continued "At this point I would like to respond to some of the circulating rumors. First and foremost, I would like to introduce my wife Tatiana who is carrying our first child. We were married in a private ceremony just before the regular season started. I am proud to say she had been by my side for the last five years. I consider myself a very lucky man. Secondly, I would like to confirm the rumor of this being my last season. This sport has been good to me and I would like to retire on a positive note. I thank you for all of your support over the years."

Before the press could react, the hooded bodyguard that had been with Victor and his entourage was escorting them from the podium. With a laugh, Victor reached up and tugged his hood down revealing none other than Harry Potter. With a jaunty wave from both of them, they stepped outside and quickly portkeyed away. Harry had taken them back to Scotland where they could relax for a while.

The large plot of land right behind the Potters and Longbottoms property went on the market due to the owners claiming strange occurrences. The property was quickly snatched up by the Krum's and they finally had the piece of paradise they had dreamed of. Tat was all for it as Victor would have playmates to keep him occupied and she would have some true friends.

**HidingOut**

The years passed and the three couples enjoyed their peaceful lives. More children were added to the gang as Harry and Mhor had twins named Sirius Montgomery and Rachel Anne Potter-Black. Even though they continued to practice quite often, they stopped at four children.

Neville and Katie decided to top the Potters and had three more children. Timothy James was followed by Katrina Elizabeth and then joined by Victoria Alicia. The Longbottoms decided five children were enough as they never wanted to be in the same category as the Weasels. They also found time to hold daily practices when it was possible.

Victor and Tat had three children. Two boys named Victor II and Sergei and a little girl named Tania. To her friends' amusement, she said enough was enough. She and Victor also liked to practice but were done with child bearing. Unlike the others, they had come from large families and felt three was more than enough.

**HidingOut**

Neville had finally talked Harry into taking his seats on the Wizengamot. He took seven of his seats from Neville and left him with five plus Neville's own seats. The two of them tormented the old order and made their time in chambers so frustrating that many passed on their seats to their heirs. Their efforts led to a more moderate and progressive Minister in the person of Henry McDonald who just happened to be a like minded relative of Maddy and a long standing and respected member of the Wizengamot. The Neutral faction led by Harry and Neville quickly took a majority and change was finally taking place. They overturned many of the restrictive laws aimed at the other magical races and enacted discrimination laws against all magical races and blood types meaning muggleborn, half blood and half breeds.

Many of their former school mates started coming forward in support of their efforts. As they were the generation that was the most affected by the war, they would no longer accept things as they were. They all agreed that they never wanted their children to go through what they had and would take whatever steps were needed to ensure that.

To further their cause, Harry and Neville were giving their proxies to other magical races. They would force the issue if they must but all magical races would be treated as equals. Taking the lead from Harry and Neville, any extra seats were given to a member of another magical race or blood purity until everyone was represented. The change took several years but their goals were finally reached. The blood purists on both sides were finally shut out and any retaliation in the chambers was swiftly met with sanctions.

**HidingOut**

The Potter-Blacks and Longbottoms were quickly held up as the example to the rest of the world. Black and Longbottom Manor were used for the informal discussions that were held with their former classmates. Although these people were the most receptive to the Potter and Longbottom ideals, years on indoctrination made it difficult for the prejudices to be erased.

They currently had representatives of the Bones, Abbott, Greengrass, Davis, MacMillan, Boot, Zabini, and Clearwater Houses on front of them. They were discussing business ventures with the other races and some of the old prejudices would come out at times. Harry nodded to Neville who took over the conversation. He said "Enough!"

"Now I want you to listen carefully, eight years ago, I got a call from Harry to meet him in the middle of the Forbidden Forest for business meeting. To my surprise, he was meeting with the centaurs. Over the next year, things grew and I ended up selling all my businesses. I now make more money than I ever did and all I have to do now is show up for board meetings occasionally. It's all because we took a chance with another magical race. How many of you are familiar with the Phoenix Conglomerate?"

Daphne's eyes widened and said "You don't mean…."

Katie said "Yes Daphne, we met Harry and Mhor and the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. All Harry wanted to do was help the centaurs and we formed a small but lucrative partnership. I hired free elves and trained them as my transportation arm. The elves proved so adept that we then trained teams to act as gatherers and collectors of potion ingredients and other material. From this partnership came the Phoenix Conglomerate. The conglomerate is currently owned by Potter-Black house, Longbottom house, the Black forest tribe, the Goblin Nation, and the free elf association. What was once a simple agreement has grown into a multi-billion galleon a year business."

Harry said "Neville trusted me enough to agree to this venture. Even though he was raised as you were, he put his and Katie's future on the line to support it. Mhor and I were happy with the partnership but Neville and Katie turned it around on us and made us see what the future could hold. To this day, I have never regretted believing in their dream as they did in ours."

There were a lot of silent stares. Harry said "We have come a long way but the old prejudices need to be completely erased. I have done my duty by eliminating Voldemort and could walk away and never look back with any regrets. My being the only Battle Mage on the planet, I'm sure my family would be left alone if another dark lord appears. (He got a lot of scared but knowing looks.) But therein lies the problem, I want this world safe for my children, our children."

Mhor stood and took Harry's hand "What my husband is trying to tell you is if we unite the magical races and stand as one, any threat can be easily defeated. They do have a lot to offer."

Susan said "I think I understand."

Neville said "No you don't Susan, not until you see all the races as equals. Let me ask a question. Are your elves free or bonded?"

Susan said "Bonded"

Katie spoke next "We followed Harry's example and bonded our elves as part of our family not as slaves. I can honestly say that I love them and we have a happier life because of it."

Harry simply said "Dinky"

She popped in and said "This had better be good Harry, I was giving the twins a bath, James escaped and is running around the house naked, and Lily is waiting for her Daddy to come and read her a story."

Mhor giggled along with several of the others at Harry being chastised for disturbing her. Harry smiled and asked "Are you happy with us?"

Dinky wiped away a tear and said "You know I am. I am called Aunt Dinky by Lily and James and I know I am loved. You have given me and my bonded a life that we could only dream about before."

"Thank you Dinky, tell Lily we will be home soon and for Merlin's sake, tell Chuck to hit that little streaker with a body bind and put him to bed. That's what I do."

Dinky laughed and popped away.

Mhor said "Do you understand now?"

Harry said "Dinky had been with me longer than Mhor has been and I have never regretted it. Well, maybe when she's mad at me but I usually deserve it when she is."

Neville said "Don't feel bad, it was ingrained to us as children. It took three half bloods and a beautiful house elf named Dinky telling me of how her father sacrificed his life so my brother could live to make me see the light."

Wobby popped in and hugged Harry who dropped down and hugged him back. Everyone was surprised by this and Mhor said "This is Wobby, Dinky's brother. My husband owes his life to Dobby and in honor of and to repay the debt he feels he owes Dobby, he welcomed his children into our family as a tribute to the truest friend he ever had."

That one act of love changed many hearts that night. The next time they met, changed hearts were ready to truly start changing the world. Things were still moving forward but they still had to battle the ones holding on to the 'old ways'.

**HidingOut**

Several more years passed and somehow Hogwarts letters made it to Lily and Franklin. The letters were quickly returned with a large 'NO' written on them. They couldn't understand the ignorance sometimes as they had made it clear many years ago that Hogwarts would never be in their children's future.

The Potter-Blacks and the Longbottoms were accosted in front of the Wizengamot by Headmistress McGonagall and the Board of Governors. They were outraged that members of this august body would refuse to send their children to the premier magic school in England. Harry smirked at their stupidity for choosing these chambers as their battleground. Harry, Neville, and Katie saw they had gotten Mhor's ire up and sat back to watch the show. Many others sat back to watch the show as well. Harry leaned over and whispered "Go get them tiger."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. She said "Thank you love, this should be fun."

Mhor stood and stepped in front of the Wizengamot. She bowed her head to the Chief Witch and asked "May I have the floor?"

In a voice that reminded Harry of Deloris Umbridge, Chief Witch Lisa Turpin said "Why certainly Lady Potter-Black."

Mhor turned feral at that point and said "Since when is it a matter of the Wizengamot how we educate our children? But since you have so graciously brought this matter to their attention, I will gladly respond to your objections. I would first like you to recall the letter that you were allowed to read between Lord Potter-Black and Lord Longbottom over twelve years ago. (Minerva paled.) In this letter, mind you it was the same letter printed in the Quibbler, we made it quite clear that the education system in this country was severely lacking. We also made it clear that an education earned in this country was not accredited by the ICW and that any children of ours would be seeking their educations elsewhere. At our own expense and with intensive self study, we and the Longbottoms were forced to take our exams in Geneva so we would be licensed to operate outside of this country. Since our business is international, we had no choice but to do this to earn our living."

The Headmistress said "But we have improved out classes and curriculum."

Mhor asked "Are you accredited by the ICW yet?"

"No"

Mhor responded "Which proves my point. Our children deserve the best education possible and they are not getting it. How many professors at Hogwarts hold masteries? Not only that, are all your professors alive?"

Minerva quietly said "Only Filius Flitwick and me hold masteries. And yes, Binns is still our history professor."

Mhor said "My point is further proven. The Potter and Longbottom children are currently being taught by Grand Masters in Herbology, Charms, Transfiguration, Enchantment, and Runes. They are also being taught by Masters of Potions, History, and Arithmancy. Politics are being taught by the Lords Potter-Black and Longbottom and society and culture by the Ladies Potter-Black and Longbottom. I think their education is well in hand."

One old idiot stepped up and said "You didn't mention DADA. Just who teaches that?"

Minerva's head bowed at that one.

Mhor coyly said "Oh. Did I forget that one? Silly me, they are currently being instructed in Defense by the only Grand Master and Battle Mage in the world. Lord Harry James Potter-Black."

Minerva asked "Who are you teachers?"

"If you must know the Grand Master of Herbology is Lord Longbottom. You already know defense. Oh and defense is backed up by Defense Master Victor Krum. My husband and I hold a Grand Mastery in Charms, Transfiguration, Runes, and Enchantment. Lord and Lady Longbottom along with Tatiana Krum also hold masteries in these subjects. Lord and Lady Longbottom, Tatiana Krum, and myself hold potions masteries. Tatiana Krum holds masteries on Arithmancy and History. Oh yeah, Lord Potter-Black, Victor Krum, and Lady Longbottom are our flying instructors. I think you will rate their skills as adequate?"

Minerva and the governors kept their heads down.

Mhor looked at Harry and raised her eyebrows. He nodded in return.

Mhor asked "Headmistress, may I inquire as to what advanced career oriented courses you offer?"

"None"

Most of the room was on the edge of their seats at this point.

"Now that is interesting. We have a variety of courses for our later years. You see we have on staff a Master Wand and Broom Crafter along with a Certified Crafter and several journeymen. We also offer COMC as part of a class taught by the Black Forest tribe. In addition to that we offer classes in warding, curse breaking, and accounting taught by a Master of the Goblin Nation. We also offer a Qudditch training course offered by none other than Victor Krum and Lord Potter-Black."

Harry spoke "Lady Potter-Black may I?"

She smiled and said "Of course Lord Potter-Black."

He kissed her cheek and she said "Jugular?" he just smiled back.

Harry said "Headmistress McGonagall?"

"Yes Lord Potter-Black?"

"I thought I made it quite clear as to the deficiencies of our educational system over twelve years ago. Why aren't our children being given an accredited education if Hogwarts is such a good school?"

Another Governor spoke up "You seemed to have done well with your Hogwarts education. Besides your children are not Hogwarts students."

"Thank you Sir, you make this too easy. I did well because my beautiful and intelligent friend, now my wife, wanted more and knew the only way to get it was by going to the ICW. She pushed me harder than anyone in my life to help me prepare for the future and that includes the help I was given before I faced Voldemort."

He stepped away and drank a sip of water. He came back and said "As it stands now, my eleven year old daughter and godson could take the OWLS and pass with all O's in every subject except Divination as we refuse to teach that fraud of a course. There is no way I will allow them to be held back because of what you 'experts' think should happen. Our children are actually encouraged to succeed and when the new first years are sitting their NEWTS in seven years and pissing themselves, our children will be earning their masteries if they so choose."

One governor decided to speak. He said "They must attend. It is the law."

Harry said "Neville?"

Neville stood and said "NO. The law states that children must be properly educated. In our environment, our children actually have experts in the subjects surrounding them. It is my opinion that the education given at Hogwarts is actually breaking the law. You are NOT properly educating your students. I challenge you to go look at the courses offered at Hogwarts one hundred years ago and compare them to the courses offered now. The curriculum is so dumbed down that my two year old could pass first year. We offer a more well rounded education than you do and to top it all off, we teach ICW accredited material."

Neville paused for a minute then winked at Harry. "In my opinion Headmistress, you had a choice many years ago. That choice was to take a hit in enrolled students and improve the education offered there or manipulate a young man that thought of you as family into returning just so you could keep enrollment up. It is obvious the choice you made."

Neville turned to the Chief Witch. "Madam, it is evident this session was set up to ambush us for our choices on how we raise our children. I strongly object to our treatment today and rest assured there will be repercussions felt by this body because of it."

Neville went and sat beside Harry and held a short conversation as there were members shouting their support or condemnation of Neville and Harry. Harry was growing increasingly angry and once he had enough, he stood and walked to the center of the room. He started pushing his magic out until he was glowing a bright green. Once everyone had quieted down he said "I am truly disgusted by what I have seen and heard today. Neville, my brother, I'm sorry but you are wrong. They aren't worth saving. To my friends I will apologize now and remind you that I have no regrets in what I am doing."

There were quite a few gasps as they realized what was going to happen.

He held up his wand and said "I, Lord Harry James Potter-Black, do hereby return control of my proxies to Lord Longbottom until a time comes where I deem this body worthy of my attention. So Mote It Be!"

Harry said as he walked "I will no longer fight your fights for you. If you approach, confront, antagonize, or attack my family, be prepared for the consequences. I may not fight for you but I will fight to the death for my family."

Harry walked over and held out his hand to Mhor who gladly took it as they walked towards the doors. You could hear a pin drop as Mhor's voice rang out "What a bunch of bloody dumbasses. I hope they drown in their ignorance."

Before they could get to the doors, they heard Neville saying "I, Lord Neville Franklin Longbottom, do hereby pass the Potter-Black proxies and my seats into the care of Grimlock until such a time as I deem this body worthy of my attention once again. So mote it be!"

Neville said "I stand with my brother. Master Grimlock, you have our full support. Give them hell."

Grimlock gave a feral smile and said "Gladly Lord Longbottom."

Neville escorted Katie to the door and all four left together. Once outside the door, Neville quietly said "That was fun. It's a good thing we planned for that scenario."

Harry said "I don't know about you but all this crap was getting on my nerves and interfering with my play time. I can't believe I ever let you talk me into all that."

Neville laughed and said "Well, we had to try and come on; everyone knows I follow your lead, how else was I going to get out of it too?"

You could hear laughing from the four of them as they activated their portkey and went home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make any money from doing this. It sadly belongs to JK but at least she lets us play in her world.**

**AN: Sadly, all things must come to an end. I want to thank you for the reviews and encouragement and I would also like to thank you for sticking with me through this. I need to once again give credit where it is due. Itsme66's story The Mandatory Marriage Contract Fic is where I drew my inspiration from. The character of Morag was well developed and I truly enjoyed reading it.**

**Epilogue**

After that fateful Wizengamot session, Minerva McGonagall became increasingly under fire for the educational standards at Hogwarts. She retired a year later and went off to live her life in peace. Before she disappeared, Minerva took a letter to Grimlock to be sent to Lord Potter-Black. In the letter, she made her very sincere apologies for using Harry the way she did along with not helping him prepare for Voldemort. As part of her self imposed penance, she stood up in front of the Wizengamot in her last act as Headmistress and called for an overhaul of their education system. Her main ideas were readily accepted which included replacement of the Board of Governors by more forward thinking witches and wizards along with reducing the authority of the Ministry of Education and placing Hogwarts under the sanction of the ICW. Her last statement was an apology to all her former students and their parents for not pushing for these changes earlier.

As you probably guessed, Kingsley wasn't allowed to finish his term. He was ranked right up there with Fudge as one of the most foolish ministers even though he had done a fine job of stabilizing the ministry after the war. The other leaders of the wizarding world completely lost respect for him when they found out what he had done to Harry Potter who held worldwide fame for his heroics.

In a show of support and respect for Harry, the Phoenix Conglomerate bought the Quidditch team that had used Harry. They went in and fired everyone and started rebuilding the staff and the players. They placed Victor and Harry as the secret CEOs of the team. Through there anonymous guidance, they quickly became a championship team and were the only team in professional Quidditch to fly Bolt Brooms. Their models were called the Blur and were scaled down versions of the Lightning. Harry never created another Lightning as he never found anyone else qualified for one. Harry and Victor continued to remain boys at heart and fly around on their Lightnings. One day after too much firewhiskey, Neville had to take an international portkey to New York to retrieve the two juveniles after they flew there on a bet. Luckily, the girls were away on a shopping trip with Gabrielle in Paris and didn't find out for many years. The boys had sworn each other to secrecy to avoid the wrath of their wives.

The Houses of Potter-Black and Longbottom never had anything to do with the Weasley family ever again. While they were cordial with Arthur, any attempts at reconciliation were quickly rebuffed. Molly made several attempts to see Harry during his Wizengamot time but was intercepted by Katie and Mhor. The last time she attempted it, she made the mistake of saying "I never raised him to be this way."

Mhor quickly responded in a growl "Mrs. Weasley, thanks to the inaction and manipulation by Dumbledore in addition to you and every other adult in my husband's life, he basically raised himself. NO ONE ever gave a damn about Harry. Only what he could do for them. I for one am damn proud of the man he has become no thanks to you. Now do yourself a favor and just LEAVE MY HUSBAND ALONE!"

Percy remained in the Ministry and Harry and Neville made it their goal to make him miserable while they were there. By the time they were done with him, he was lucky to have his job as a clerk in the records department.

Charlie remained in Romania and lived his own life away from his less than honorable family. He managed to keep in touch with Arthur and Bill but that was as far as it went.

Bill and Fleur had a happy life together and raised several children. Gabrielle would make a point of giving Fleur Harry's greetings every time she visited just as a reminder to Bill. Years earlier, Harry had done everything in his power to make sure Gabrielle's wedding was everything she ever wanted. He sufficiently cowered both their husbands with the very real threat of what would happen if his sisters were harmed or hurt in any way. Appoline Delacour passed on shortly after Gabrielle's wedding. She had slowly started fading away after the death of her bondmate. After her death, the House of Delacour was placed under the protection of House Potter-Black until an official heir was of age. That fell to Gabrielle's son Jean Harrison Delacour many years later.

Due to the fact that marriage in the wizarding world was for life, Hermione was forced to remain in a loveless and sexless marriage. Her only relief from Ron was when she taught at Hogwarts. Sadly for her, that ended during the educational reform. She would have gladly gone to the ICW to earn her masteries but Ron had lost his job as an Auror when Kingsley was voted out of office. Ron had progressively gotten lazier and couldn't hold a job. He quickly wasted all the money she had saved while teaching and so she couldn't afford the exams. She and Ron had never moved out of the Burrow as he couldn't leave mommy and they couldn't afford it. Hermione lived with Ron in her own personal hell. Hermione's marriage to Ron permanently destroyed the close relationship she once had with her parents. It was years later that she realized that she had always loved Harry and it was her fault that he was no longer in her life. She died alone many years later and as she passed on the last thing she uttered was "I'm so sorry Harry."

George managed to pay off his debt to Harry but had to sell everything in the process. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that Fred had the business sense of the twins and had made their earlier success possible. Angelina ended up breaking it off with him and married Lee Jordan a few years later. George ended up working for Zonkos as a researcher and prank creator and he remained at that level until he retired. His dreams of pranking fame and wealth were squashed by his greed.

Ginny no name's dishonor at home and infidelity to a national hero was enough to cause her to be quickly released from the Harpies. She had become a public relations nightmare and would be an embarrassment if they kept her on. She found out that Harry's fame which had propelled her to incredible heights could also cause unbelievable lows when you were seen as someone who had betrayed the hero. Draco Malfoy found her at a low point and took advantage of it. He took her home and as payment for her having a place to live, used her for sex. It wasn't long before she was being passed around to his friends in payment for favors or to gain favors. Every time she tried to leave, he would just ask her where she was going to go. At that point, she would just hang her head and return to the manor for she knew she couldn't go home.

Draco incurred some rather heavy gambling debts and found himself in trouble. He had wasted what was left of the Malfoy fortune and couldn't pay off his debts. In true Malfoy form, he offered Ginny as payment to the Vampires that came to collect. She was never seen again as she was used as a feeder until the blood replenishing potions had thinned her blood so much that she was deemed useless. Her body washed up on the shores of the Thames and was cremated under the name of Jane Doe.

Harry and Mhor and their four children began making frequent trips to the Potter Estate. Louie and Blinky had turned the estate into a lush garden and magical creature preserve and Harry was very proud of their efforts. The area surrounding his family's graves was beautifully maintained and was a virtual paradise. Harry and Mhor both told Lily of their desire to be laid to rest amongst his family. Harry stared at the graves for a while and realized something was missing. He conjured a tombstone and placed it beside his father in honor of Sirius.

It read:

Sirius Orion Black

"Padfoot"

1965-1996

Beloved

Marauder

Godfather

Friend

"I Miss You" HJP

The Potter-Blacks and Longbottom were begged to return to the Wizengamot by many of their former school mates. Their answer was to completely disappear again and lock down the Manors, placing them under stasis. They had decided that their children could decide if they wanted to retake the seats as they no longer had the desire to go back.

The elves were recalled to either come live with their family or go live in the colony that had been built on the Potter Estate. Louie and Blinky had been quite busy and had raised ten children. As they grew to adulthood, they would pick one of Potter-Black children as their bonded family. Harry was thrilled that his and Dobby's families would be forever joined. In another show of respect, Harry found out that Winky had been buried beside Dobby and with the permission of their children moved the graves and placed them with his family.

Harry and Mhor stayed in Scotland for the rest of their lives. They were joined in their peaceful existence by their four friends. Their compound had continued to grow over the years as their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren chose to make their homes there as well. Many would leave only to come back after becoming quickly disaffected by the outside world. The families would be forever joined by blood through marriage in the first generation of children. After that, the children were encouraged to seek mates outside the compound as they didn't want to be like the pureblood bigots who intermarried within their families. The children had been taught to seek out muggleborn as mates as they would help keep the family magic strong. They would also be able to avoid the political crap that came from marrying purebloods and would help keep the family safer. The only exception made to this rule was the Delacours which was Gabrielle's children not Fleur's.

When the original six finally passed on, they were surrounded by a lot of love from rather large extended family. Each couple was taken and laid to rest in their family plots. As they left the loving arms of their children, they were immediately welcomed into the loving arms of their parents. Harry held Lily and James for quite a while as Mhor held Monty and Maddy. After several minutes, they switched places. While hugging Lily, Mhor was repeatedly thanked by Lily for giving Harry the love she never was allowed too.

Harry looked around and said "Must be for real this time, never seen this place before."

That got a laugh form everyone and he was quickly engulfed in a hug from Sirius and Remus. Harry stepped back and saw the two men healthier than he had ever seen them. He said "Death must have agreed with you both."

That got a loud laugh from Sirius who merely grabbed Harry in another hug and said "Merlin, I've missed you pup."

"I've missed you too Padfoot."

When he finally released the hug, he noticed Hermione standing near the door of the 'greeting room'. She was looking sad until he held out his arms to her. She ran to him and gave him one of her patented hugs. She whispered "I'm so sorry Harry. You were right, I wasn't listening. I hope you can forgive me."

"Already did, a long time ago." She hugged him tightly again until Mhor stepped over.

Mhor walked up to Harry and placed her arm around his waist. He turned and gave her a kiss. "Mhor my love, I would like to introduce you to Mione. Mione, this is Mhor, the woman who made all my dreams come true."

Hermione stepped forward and hugged Mhor.

Hermione said "Thank you for all you did for him. I was too stupid to see how much I loved him until it was too late. I have to admit that I am a bit jealous; you got the dream while I settled for so much 'less'.

Harry roared in laughter and said "Well Mione, I guess you will just have to join us in this next adventure then. Love, do you have room in your heart for another?"

Mhor waggled her eyebrows and said "Always my love, but you know practice makes perfect. And with two of us, you will have to practice more."

Harry laughed again and said "You are going to be the death of me. Oh wait, we've already done that."

For the first time, Harry looked around the room and saw two doors. The wall between was transparent and they could see Dumbledore, McGonagall, Kingsley, and the Weasleys with faces that were pleading to get in. Harry asked "What's up with them?"

Hermione said "I really don't know. When I arrived, this is where they placed me and told me to wait. I got to see my parents and make up with them but they were allowed to go on while I was told I had to wait. I would guess I have been here for years. Your family showed up not too long ago and I knew you would be here soon."

Harry called Lily over and said "Mum, I'd like you to meet Hermione. The other love of my life."

Lily hugged her and said "I had such high hopes for you."

Hermione looked down and said "I know I blew it."

Lily said "Well, since you were kept here, it means that you were waiting for your true love to appear and hopefully make amends. You have been given a rare opportunity to spend forever with that love."

Tears ran down Hermione's face and stepped over to Harry and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. She said "I promise I won't blow it this time. Well maybe I will."

That earned a snort from Lily and Mhor as Harry turned red.

When he recovered he asked "Mum, what is up with the monkeys behind the glass?"

"Oh that's easy. They are the ones who wronged you in your previous life. Although they weren't bad enough to be sent to the fire pits, they must atone for what they did. Since they never saw the errors of their ways, they must watch from the outside as you are welcomed. They are also forbidden from seeking you out. I would imagine Dumbledore will be there for quite a while as others are due to arrive soon."

"So what's next?"

"Well, we have to wait."

It wasn't long before Katie and Neville and their family came in.

Neville looked at the transparent wall and muttered "Idiots"

Harry snorted and pulled Neville into a hug.

They were soon joined by Victor and Tat and their families. Victor glanced at the window and asked "What's with the monkeys behind the glass?"

Harry, Mhor, and Hermione were on the floor laughing at that and once they calmed down. Mhor said "You and Harry have spent way to much time together."

Victor looked at Hermione and before he could say anything, she said "Don't even go there Victor Krum. I know I screwed up and believe me I paid dearly for it. I have reconciled with Harry and have been given the chance to try and make it up to him."

Victor just pulled her into a hug and said "Good, I just couldn't believe someone so smart could be so stupid."

She said "Believe me I know. Imagine being married to teeny and that was before I hexed him."

Everyone was laughing as Harry caught Ron's eye. He raised his hand and with his thumb and forefinger made the gesture for about a half an inch. Ron turned red and tried to run away as everyone started laughing.

All of a sudden the far door opened and Fred stuck his head in the door. He said "Will you guys come on already?" The fun is out here.

Sirius, James, and Remus grabbed Harry and led him towards the door. Sirius said "Yeah Prongslet lets go. There is mischief to be made."

Before they could get him through the door, Harry stopped and held out his hands. Mione and Mhor both took one and they walked into their future together closely followed by their family.

**The End…or is it?**

**AN: Once again, thank you for following this story. **


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